Ekeomah Atuonwu
The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning on Wednesday, urging surrounding nations to improve their readiness as the arrival of Ebola in the capital of Uganda highlighted the high potential of further spread of the deadly virus.
AEM reported that Uganda’s health ministry first declared the outbreak in September and the country has registered more than 150 confirmed and probable cases, including 64 deaths according to the WHO said.
And since the deadly disease spread to Kampala last week, 17 cases have been confirmed there, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.
“Although these cases are linked to known clusters, the very fact that there are cases in a densely populated city underscores the very real risk of further transmission,” he said, speaking from WHO headquarters in Geneva.
There is a “very urgent need for increased readiness in districts and surrounding countries,” he warned.
The symptoms of Ebola, which is spread through bodily fluids, include fever, vomiting, bleeding, and diarrhea. Tracing, containing, and quarantining are used to combat it.
The difficulty of containing outbreaks increases in metropolitan settings.
Tedros claimed that the U.N. In addition to the $5 million already provided to handle the crisis in Uganda, the health department on Tuesday also released an extra $5.7 million from its emergency fund.
He stated that WHO was closely coordinating its response to the outbreak with the Ugandan government and its allies and was urging “a reinforced global response and increased donor commitment.”
2019 saw the final Ebola-related death in Uganda that was officially registered.
The Sudan Ebola virus, which is the strain now present in Uganda, is not yet protected against by a vaccine, though there are a number of candidates that are nearing clinical trials.
