The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has assembled a social mobilization and early reporting of suspected Ebola cases response team of 250 volunteers from the different villages in affected districts. These include, 50 Volunteers from Luwero the epi centre, 30 from Nakaseke, 30 from Nakasongola, 40 from Wakiso, 30 from Mukono, 20 from Bugiri and 50 from Kampala.
To avert the looming spread of the epidemic, the partners have since embarked on an aggressive sensitization and awareness campaign to contain the Ebola epidemic following confirmed reports of the disease in Luweero, Central Uganda. The deadly epidemic has so far killed 1 person and 2 suspected cases are in the isolation unit at Bombo Military Hospital. A team from World Health Organisation, Uganda’s Ministry of Health, Uganda Red Cross Society and MSF is already on ground.
According to URCS Under Secretary General Programs and Projects Dr. Bildard Baguma the leading humanitarian agency is also focusing on improving early detection, reporting and referral of suspected cases of Ebola through active surveillance (Less than 50 percent case
fatality registered in the project areas). URCS interventions are targeting 865, 951 people.
In addition, the URCS will strengthen the coordination and local response by supporting long term epidemic risk reduction actions and
participating in the coordination and monitoring mechanisms.
The four agencies already on ground have conducted preliminary assessments and highlighted the main gaps that need to be addressed for the epidemic to be brought under control.
Neighboring districts of Luwero like Wasiko, Kayunga, Nakaseke, Nakasongola and Kampala districts just along the high way to Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan are being monitored. According to Ministry of Health officials, 23 suspected contacts so far from the military hospital are under surveillance.
Initial assessment done have not yet identified the source of the outbreak, but the national task force has singled out six districts neighbouring Luwero for active case search, surveilance and social mobilization for the ebola outbreak.
Blood samples of the other cases admitted have been sent to referral laboratories in Entebbe by the Uganda Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) and more tests are being conducted to provide detailed information on the suspects.
Ebola Sudan, the type confirmed this time in Uganda is a highly contagious killer disease in the category of viral haemorrhagic fevers, with no known cure and with high fatality rate of up to 90% of people exposed to infection.
How Ebola is spread
It is spread through direct physical contact with body fluids of an infected person and consumption of animals carrying the virus. Uganda was last affected by Ebola in 2007 to 2008 in Bundibugyo where over 180 people were affected with 36 deaths including health workers. In 2000
and 2001 over 800 people were affected in Gulu and Masindi districts and more than 150 deaths were reported including health workers.
Coordination and partnerships
The Ministry of Health, URCS and other partners have conducted preliminary needs and capacity assessment in Luwero. The assessment has identified gaps as outlined below:
A national taskforce has been set up in Kampala coordinated by the Ministry of Health and similar tasks force has been formed in Luwero and surrounding districts. Experts from the WHO are already in Uganda working closely with the Ugandan MoH to contain the epidemic and more are on the way. The WHO is providing technical support to the Ministry of Health and is coordinating the international response.
An isolation unit has been established in Bombo military hospital equipped with protective tools provided by Centre for Disease Control (50 PPE Kits) to be used by those handling suspected Ebola cases.
Save the Children has rehabilited the isolation units in Bombo military hospital.
Two meetings so far have been organized and attended by partners to forge a way forward and the following action points have been agreed on:
Community mobilization and sensitization of the populations on the symptoms and preventive measures of
Ebola in the six districts of Luwero the epi centre, Kampala, Nakasongola, Wakiso, Mukono/Kayunga and Nakaseke to be conducted by URCS and other partners
Information, education and communication materials that are context-specific and produced in local languages;
Active community surveilance case search and referal of contacts in the community
Being a permanent member of social mobilization sub-committee of the National and district level epidemic task forces, URCS has been requested in these related activities in the Ebola operation.
CDC, in collaboration with Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL) will continue to receive samples from the affected districts in Northern Uganda and will continue supporting the Government of Uganda in screening samples in response to outbreaks
WHO country office with the MOH are part of the response team supporting the Case management- including Drug and sundries Medical supplies for the treatment of Ebola cases; Personal Protective Equipments (PPE’s) for the health workers and people involved in the response case management, monitoring the trend of the disease, capacity building with experts in the field.
The Ministry of Health deployed technical officers to support case management, surveillance and referal activities in the affected districts
The NTF developed a response plan with a budget to respond to the current outbreak. The details of the activities in the plan will be provided by the different sub-committees
An alert to all the neighbouring countries about the current outbreak has been made by MOH
Additional support to the isolation units and provision of logistical support to the hospital is still being sought after.
The central management of all ebola related communication to the media by the national task force chairman; the director general haelth services from MoH Uganda.
Uganda Red Cross Society Actions
Uganda Red Cross Society Ebola action team has sofar:-
Mobilized 50 volunteers in URCS Luwero Branch the epi centre and 10 volunteers each from the other affected branches to be
trained in social mobilization and active case rearch in the community.
Actively participates in the national and district task force planning meetings for the Ebola response (a member of the
communications and social mobilization team) in Luwero and Kampala.
For further information on Red Cross actions
In Uganda: Michael Richard
Nataka, Secretary General Uganda Red Cross Society
Email:
natakam@redcrossug.org
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,
Office phone: +256-776-312-001
Dr. Bildard Baguma, Under
Secretary General Programs and Operations, Uganda Red Cross Society
Email:
bbaguma@redcrossug.org
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,
Office phone: +256-776-312-002
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 May 2011 10:22 | |
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