Kampala, 15th August 2014:- As the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) continues to ravage Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone in West Africa, Uganda is one of the few countries that have sent deferent cadres of health workers to help contain the disease.

 Within the spirit of partnership and in line with the WHO regional committee resolution (AFR/RC60/R5), that created the African Public Health Emergency Fund, member countries agreed to support each other during emergencies. In that regard, close to 20 health workers from Uganda are in the four countries supporting clinical management, coordination, surveillance, laboratory and social mobilization components of the response. More are lined up as the need arises.

 In a situation where several countries have banned their citizens from travelling to the affected countries, Uganda’s brave decision to send health workers is borne out of experience with Ebola. Since 2000, the country has endured five Ebola outbreaks with catastrophic consequences. The first outbreak was in 2000 with 425 cases and 224 deaths; in 2007 with 149 cases and 37 deaths; in 2011 with 1 case and 1 death; in 2012 with 24 cases and 17 deaths; and again in 2012 with 7 cases and 4 deaths.

 Although the outbreaks led to many deaths, they, at the same time helped the country build a team of tested and proven health workers capable of dealing with the diseases.  It is from that pool that Uganda has dispatched a team to West Africa where the EVD cases have reached 1848 with 1013 deaths as of 9th August 2014. The health workers, to be contracted by the World Health Organization, will be deployed initially for one month renewable depending on the evolution of the outbreak.

 At home, the country has recalled the National Ebola Task Force and put all health workers in all facilities on high alert for the diseases. A screening desk has been established at Entebbe International Airport and the Isolation ward at Grade B Hospital also in Entebbe prepared for any eventuality. At the same time, awareness messages are running on FM radio stations and Personal Protective Equipments have been prepositioned in strategic health facilities.

 EVD is a severe, often fatal illness that kills up to 90% of those who get infected. The infection is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. During an outbreak, those at higher risk of infection are health workers, family members and others in close contact with sick people and deceased patients.

Currently, there is no proven cure for EVD although some drugs have been used with promising results, on American health workers who got the disease while attending to patients in Liberia. WHO has approved the use of these drugs even before formal registration to support the control of this outbreak. However, the most effective measure that has been used successfully in Uganda is infection control using WHO infection control guidelines and standard operating procedures at home, in clinics in hospitals and communities. Hopefully, Uganda’s health workers will implement and share their experiences to stop the current outbreak in its tracks.