Africa-Press – Uganda. The Tekwaro-Lango leadership has tasked clan leaders to embark on door-to-door sensitisation of the community about Ebola protection.
Dr Moses Michael Odongo Okune, a rival paramount chief, said clan leaders should be vigilant even though the disease, which has already claimed 23 lives, broke out in central region.
“Let us not think that the disease is still in Mubende and we relax. We should educate our people about Ebola so that together we can defeat this disease,” Dr Odongo said during the enthronement of Mr Jerome Angena as the chief of Ocukuru Ogora clan in Lira City East Division at the weekend.
On September 20, the health authorities declared an outbreak of Ebola after a case of the Sudan strain was confirmed in Mubende District.
The first confirmed case was of a 24-year-old male who presented Ebola symptoms and later succumbed to the disease.
Dr Odongo also urged the people of Lango to send children to school and ensure that they plant more trees to preserve the environment.
He also gave money to Ocukuru clan to plant at least 1,000 trees.
The prime minister of Tekwaro Lango, Mr George Ojwang Opota, asked the chief to forgive those who could have wronged him.
Mr Angena said his administration would institute a reconciliation commission to reunite the divided Ocukuru Ogora clan.
“I will lead the clan without any discrimination regardless of who voted for me or my opponent. I will protect the human rights of my people and preserve the culture of Lango,” he said.
Meanwhile, two people suspected of contracting Ebola from Mubende have been taken into isolation in Kisoro District for 21 days.
Dr Nick Muneza, the district disease surveillance focal person, said the two suspects had come from a burial ceremony of a person who had succumbed to symptoms similar to Ebola.
Dr Muneza urged residents to take necessary precaution against the disease, saying its more deadly than Covid-19. The district health officer, Mr Stephen Nsabiyunva, said they had not registered any Ebola case in Kisoro, but urged communities to follow prevention measures since the area borders DR Congo where the disease was first reported.
Some of the signs and symptoms of Ebola include high ever, blood stained vomit, and diarrhoea, loss of appetite and pain while swallowing and oozing blood from body openings.
Dr Nsabiyunva said the district health department is prepared to handle cases since they have well-trained staff and other equipment to use.
He, however, decried lack of fuel to help the monitoring team in surveillance, sensitisation and monitoring activities aimed at combatting the disease. Dr Nsabiyunya asked people to avoid hand shaking, hugging, sharing clothes and always wash their hands frequently with soap, jik or sanitizer.
He also asked residents to resume social distancing and wear facemasks.
The Resident District Commissioner, Mr Shafiq Ssekandi, said Kisoro is vulnerable because it is at the border.
Mr Ssekandi said unlimited movement of people, uncontrolled functions such as burials and weddings, congestion in markets and schools were likely to increase the spread of the disease.
“The outbreak of Ebola in DR Congo has put the border districts at stake. It might take the country some time to heal from the wounds since the country and the world is trying to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
Cases
Uganda last reported an outbreak of Ebola Sudan strain in 2012 and an outbreak of the Ebola Zaire strain in 2019. Case fatality rates of the Sudan strain have varied from 41 percent to 100 percent in past outbreaks, according to official data.Early initiation of supportive treatment has been shown to significantly reduce deaths from Ebola. Statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate that the number of confirmed and suspected Ebola infections has increased to 34 while deaths attributed to the outbreak stand at 23. Districts where confirmed and suspected cases have been reported include Kassanda, Kampala, Kisoro, Kakumiro, Mubende, Kyegegwa, and Lyantonde.
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