WHO allocates $1 million to combat Ebola outbreak in Uganda

In response to the confirmed outbreak of Sudan virus disease, a strain of the Ebola virus, in Uganda, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has allocated $1 million to support the country’s efforts in combating the outbreak.

In a statement issued on Thursday, WHO said the disease was detected in a nurse from Mulago National Referral Hospital in the capital, Kampala.

WHO said the $1 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies will help “accelerate early action and is readying medical supplies” to deliver to Uganda from its Emergency Response Hub in Nairobi.

The global health body said it is mobilising efforts to support the national health authorities in containing and ending the outbreak.

WHO said it is deploying senior public health experts and mobilising staff from the country office to support all the key outbreak response measures.

Status of outbreak, response

Apart from the confirmed case, WHO said no other health worker or patients have shown symptoms of the disease.

It noted that 45 contacts, including health workers and family members of the confirmed case (deceased), have been identified and are currently under close monitoring.

“The identification of the case in a densely populated urban requires a rapid and intense response,” the statement noted.

While there are no licensed vaccines for the Sudan virus disease, the global health body is partnering with developers to deploy candidate vaccines and other public health measures.

It noted that these vaccines will be dispatched once all administrative and regulatory approvals are obtained.

The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, emphasised the importance of swift action.

Ms Moeti acknowledged the prompt declaration of the outbreak, declaring support for the Uganda government and partners to scale up efforts.

“We welcome the prompt declaration of this outbreak, and as a comprehensive response is being established, we are supporting the government and partners to scale up measures to quickly identify cases, isolate and provide care, curb the spread of the virus and protect the population,” she said.

Sudan virus

The Sudan virus disease, also known as Sudan Ebola or Sudan hemorrhagic fever, is a severe and often fatal illness caused by the Sudan virus, a member of the Filoviridae family of viruses.

Hemorrhagic symptoms, including bleeding, fever, and organ failure, characterise the disease.

Historically, the Sudan virus disease was first identified in 1976 during an outbreak in South Sudan.

The outbreak occurred in Nzara, near the Sudanese border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then, there have been several outbreaks of the disease in Africa, primarily in Sudan, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Sudan virus disease has a high mortality rate, ranging from 41 per cent to 100 per cent in past outbreaks.

The virus is primarily transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids, such as blood, sweat, and saliva.

In Uganda, there have been five previous outbreaks of the Sudan virus disease, with the most recent one occurring in 2022.

Ms Moeti stated that Uganda has robust expertise in responding to public health emergencies, which will be crucial in ending this outbreak effectively.

The WHO Representative in Uganda, Kasonde Mwinga, stated, “Banking on the existing expertise, we are accelerating all efforts, including expertise, resources and tools to save lives and bring the outbreak to a halt swiftly.”