South Sudan: Uganda to Send Health Workers to South Sudan for Ebola Response

Kampala — The government of Uganda is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of South Sudan to extend its support in the Ebola response by sending health workers.

Dr. Charles Ayume, the State for Health in charge of Primary Health Care, said the move is aimed at helping South Sudan respond to Ebola and prevent the virus from spreading into Uganda, given the free movement of people between the two neighbouring countries.

Uganda already deployed health workers to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to aid in the Ebola response, as the country continues to register a surge in cases.

During an engagement with leaders in West Nile in Arua, Ayume said that failure to respond to outbreaks in neighbouring countries poses a high risk of the disease spreading into Uganda. Uganda was last month declared Ebola-free after no new cases were registered or admitted.

Assistant Commissioner Dr. Jimmy Opigo noted that Uganda's position of neighbouring the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan poses a risk of importing the disease if it is not well managed.

Health officials in Uganda have also expressed concern about illegal entry points into the country, as people continue crossing without clearance by authorities at border points.

In a bid to prevent the importation of Ebola into Uganda, officials are stationed at the gazetted border points to ensure that everyone crossing is screened and cleared.

Uganda recorded a cumulative 20 cases, of which 15 were imported, and five were local. Of these, 18 people recovered, while two died.

Read the original article on Independent (Kampala).

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