Uganda Declared Ebola Free

Lundi 15 octobre 2012 - 21:25

Uganda has been declared Ebola-free according to a press statement signed by Health Minister Dr. Christine Ondoa. While addressing journalists this morning Ondoa said the deadly disease was no more.

“As you may recall, the Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of Ebola in Kibaale district on July 28th after receiving confirmatory results from the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) that the strange disease that had killed 14 people in the district was Ebola Hemorrhagic fever, Sudan strain. The index cases were reported from Nyanswiga LCI in Nyamarunda Parish of Nyamarunda sub-county. On October 4th, the Ministry will declare an end to the outbreak after completing 42 days of the post Ebola surveillance phase,” she announced.

She revealed that the Post Ebola Surveillance countdown period is a prerequisite of the World Health Organization (WHO) which requires any affected country to monitor the Ebola situation for a period of 42 days after the last discharged patient case before finally declaring that the outbreak is over.  The last patient in Kibaale was allowed to go home on 24th August.

World Vision Uganda leadership lifted the travel ban to the affected areas mid last month and resumed all operations in Kibaale district. All travel restrictions that had previously been put in our travel advisories are now removed.

For further information on this story, please contact

Muganzi M. Isharaza

Senior Communications Officer, World Vision Uganda

muganzi_isharaza@wvi.org

+256774567933

Skype: ganzi.muhanguzi