Hussein Bogere & Tabu Butagira
12 December 2007
Kampala — KAMPALA City Council has put in place several measures, including the spraying of buses from western Uganda, in a bid to curb the spread of the Ebola virus.
At the same time, the death toll of the Ebola fever has risen to 30 whereas the cumulative number of people suspected to be suffering from the fever has also risen to 116.
Mr John Lule, the public health inspector for Kampala said the authorities are encouraging transport operators to spray their vehicles. "We are in touch with Utoda and Uboa.
We have asked the operators to spray their buses' (and taxi) linings because some of the passengers could throw up in there," Mr Lule said. "The buses, especially those from the affected areas, should be sprayed from their starting points and as they leave Kampala. The tyres too should be sprayed. They should have protective gear to be used in case of an emergency."
The Ministry of Health plans to start spraying people's shoes with Jik detergent. The precautionary measures, Mr Lule said, which was arrived at a meeting between KCC and other stakeholders on Monday, take immediate effect. Mr Lule said KCC authorities are conducting impromptu visits to saloons within the city, looking for those that don't have sterilised equipment
Asked how feasible the implementation will be, Mr Lule said it could be hard in the initial stages, "but we are going to sensitise the people.
"Some people have already complained, but we shall educate them. If they decline to adhere, we shall take legal action," Mr Lule said. KCC is also planning to decongest the dingy areas used in downtown Kampala as cookeries. "We met with stakeholders yesterday," Dr Livingstone Makanga said "and agreed to close or limit some of the over-crowded corridors or what are referred to as binamwanddu (widows's joints)".
The areas being referred to are the dingy alleys used by mostly women to prepare food, especially in downmarket Kampala. "We have stopped people from going to those food establishments. Our enforcement officers are looking out for any defaulters," Mr Lule said in a telephone interview yesterday.
The Ebola virus which is incurable, is transmitted through contact with an infected person, including sweat and saliva, but is not airborne.
It appears that the Ebola spread toll is beginning to slow down. In yesterday's Ministry of Health update, 12 people were still admitted at Kikyo Health Centre and 17 in Bundibugyo Hospital.
The good news, according to Dr Emmanuel Otaala, state minister for Health, is that "five people who were admitted have been discharged. Of the five, four were in Bundibugyo Hospital and one in Kikyo Isolation Unit". The first outbreak of this rare streak of Ebola was detected in Bundibugyo in August, but could only be confirmed in November.
The minister also announced that the laboratory for diagnosing Ebola at the Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe has so far analysed 50 samples. All the samples are from the districts of Kanungu, Mbarara, Kasese, Kabarole, Mbale, Masaka, Gulu, Adjumani are all negative.
He said 60% of the cases in Bundibugyo are positive and the rest are negative and are being followed up, Dr Otaala said. Ebola hotlines have also been established. The public has been advised to contact the following numbers; Police Mobile 111 or 999 Police control room and the Ministry of Health on 0772 587567, 0414 345108. Meanwhile, Stanbic Bank, the only bank in Bundibugyo district has closed its branch for fear of Ebola.
The area MP, Ms Jane Alisemera said the move is counter-productive. She thinks that because of the closure, more people will move out of Bundibugyo to the nearest area with a bank, thus abetting the spread of the virus.
A comment from the bus operators could not be readily obtained by press time, but the taxi operators spoke out. "We have not received any communication from the central authority. We have only heard it on radio," Mr John Kitasimbwa said yesterday.
However, he was skeptical of the implementation. "It is important (spraying), but the implementation is difficult. How can the authorities be sure that the taxis or buses have been sprayed because they don't change their colours? It will be very difficult," he said.
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