EBOLA PANDEMIC: UGANDA SUSPENDS ALL FLIGHTS TO & FROM DRC

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]Um, this is a press statement by the Ministry of Health um, to update you on the status, but also on the resolutions that have been uh, made out of the national task force that was convened by the vice president this morning.

[00:00:27]The government of Uganda wishes to update the public and the stakeholders on the ongoing regional outbreak of Ebola virus disease caused by Bundibugyo strain that is currently affecting parts of Democratic Republic of Congo.

[00:00:51]I just want to re-echo what Allan has said.

[00:00:56]Uganda has not registered any positive case apart from the imported two that we told you about on on 15th and also 16th.

[00:01:15]And we have not registered any other.

[00:01:19]All our contacts are under observation and none has so far tested positive.

[00:01:35]The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola has a case fatality rate of approximately 50% and currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment.

[00:01:55]Given Uganda's proximity to the epicenters and strong cross-border linkages that include trading movement for other economic activities and direct flights the risk of further importation remains high.

[00:02:20]And so, high-risk areas have been identified.

[00:02:26]And these include all the districts along the western border the refugee hosting areas and Kampala metropolitan because of those two that had come through.

[00:02:42]And for emphasis, allow me to read these districts.

[00:02:47]These include Kasese, Ntoroko, Bundibugyo, Kabarole, Bunyangabu, Kisooro, Chikwambe, Kamwenge, Kyegewa, Hoima, Buliisa, Wakiso, Kampala, Kiryandongo, Lamwo, Isingiro, Arua, Nebbi, Pakwach, Zombo, Moyo, Koboko, Maracha, Yumbe, Obongi, Madi-Okollo, and Kanungu.

[00:03:26]Some of these are re- are are categorized as very high risk, especially the ones that are directly in in in connection with DRC.

[00:03:41]The other group like like Kamwenge, like Kiryandongo, like Kyegewa, those are characterized as risk because they host the refugees.

[00:03:58]And as you may know that a quite a number of those refugees are Congolese.

[00:04:07]So, in response, the government of Uganda through the national task force chaired by the vice president, we want to communicate further measures as follows.

[00:04:25]The government is going to intensify mask risk awareness and sensitization on infection prevention and control and observation of the mass gathering SOPs issued by the Ministry of Health for the entire country.

[00:04:47]This we are going to be using radios, TVs, social media, and all institutions that are at our disposal like cultural institutions, religious institutions, and all local government structures.

[00:05:06]Number two, we are going to enhance screening.

[00:05:11]We've been doing that from the time we reported the the epidemic.

[00:05:17]But we are going to double the screening, testing, and also we are going to enhance treatment capacities along the DRC borderline.

[00:05:31]And we are going to continue carry out the risk assessment.

[00:05:37]And based on that, we'll establish additional center testing center to shorten the the turnaround time uh for those that will be suspected.

[00:05:55]Number three, we are we are temporarily suspending all cultural celebrations, commemorations that attract big numbers of participants along DRC Uganda border. And this particular one, we know that the Oboth Dingyia will be celebrating their anniversary, their commemorations, and we are advising that they they postpone this until we are out of this.

[00:06:31]As as you know, Bundibugyo is right next to DRC, and therefore that will cause a lot of mass movements. So, we are advising that we postpone that function.

[00:06:46]We are temporarily suspending the public passenger services on ferries, on Semliki River, the cross-border bus transport, and all public transport between DRC and Uganda for 4 weeks.

[00:07:05]But, this with exception of goods and food and any other cargo that is being transported across the border.

[00:07:20]We shall be able to reconvene and continue, assess the risk, and we guide accordingly.

[00:07:31]Number five, we want to encourage the public to continue reporting any deaths.

[00:07:41]And therefore, we are enhancing death reporting in all districts.

[00:07:46]But we are more emphasizing the districts that in those high-risks uh the one we categorized as high-risk districts.

[00:07:57]Especially at along Uganda-DRC border.

[00:08:03]Not forgetting Kampala metropolitan area.

[00:08:08]We are suspending all flights to and from DRC to Uganda.

[00:08:19]And this takes effect within 48 hours.

[00:08:26]We are going to enhance border security patrols along the porous borders to minimize unnecessary cross-border movements.

[00:08:40]We have suspended all weekly markets in the border sub-counties of the high-risk districts for the next 40 weeks as we continue to assess the risk of Ebola transmission in our neighborhood.

[00:09:05]We encourage and we continue to call upon everybody not only in the high-risk districts, but all of us to enforce operating standard operating procedures in non-weekly markets in all border districts along DRC, including schools, prisons, hotels, and places of worship.

[00:09:36]This Although we not putting so much emphasis on the border districts, but we want to see this cut across in all our districts in the country.

[00:09:53]We shall continue to facilitate only essential movements of population across borders of for people originating from DRC, limiting it to only gazetted and designated crossing points.

[00:10:12]This means we will not want to encourage people to use porous borders to come from Congo to come in, and that's why we are enhancing the security patrols.

[00:10:28]Number 11, we know that schools are going to open and we shall open on time.

[00:10:37]School opening will not postponed, but we advise the headteachers and the Ministry of Education to ensure that all the SOPs we have issued are followed to the dot because we know schools are crowded and they bring together many people across the country.

[00:11:08]But we are calling upon the school administration to be more vigilant to ensure that all our children who develop symptoms are are linked to our medical teams within the area to ensure that we do the test and isolate.

[00:11:30]But our emphasis is at the border districts.

[00:11:35]Because we know that we have been informed that in the border districts, many children come across.

[00:11:46]They they cross to Uganda and study in our schools.

[00:11:51]We cannot deny those children education at this time.

[00:11:56]But what we can do is to continue to give guidance to provide the the SOPs and implement those SOPs.

[00:12:07]And we continue to encourage the school administration to put in mechanism to monitor all children who come and and and we we we encourage them to to measure their temperature. We encourage them to use uh hand-washing facilities.

[00:12:27]And continue to monitor, especially the children that come across.

[00:12:32]I know the question will be I want to preempt.

[00:12:37]You think that when children come and mix with our children, automatically people will get Ebola.

[00:12:45]Ebola can only spread if you start having symptoms.

[00:12:51]If you start shedding the virus in the sweat, in the vomit, in the diarrhea material, in the urine, in the blood.

[00:13:03]When you have those symptoms, that's when you are able to spread.

[00:13:08]So, what we are encouraging school administration to register and make sure that we follow these children by taking their temperature every day.

[00:13:22]In case there is any child who develops the fever, that will be evacuated and tested and depending on the results, we'll be able to take action.

[00:13:39]So, the Minister of of Health emphasizes that ultimate control of outbreak depends on interruption of transmission in DRC.

[00:13:53]However much we are effective in the country as is now, because we don't right now actually even the one who had Ebola tested negative.

[00:14:07]As I talk now, we don't have Ebola in the country.

[00:14:11]The one who been taking care is improving and has tested negative and soon once she gains strength, we'll be able to discharge her.

[00:14:21]So, as I talk right now, we don't have Ebola.

[00:14:24]However much we have the effective measures in the country, provided our porous borders continue allowing movement, high-level movement of people, and controlled movement, then we put our population in the country at risk.

[00:14:46]So, our aim, our objective of all these measures is to interrupt the transmission, especially the high-risk districts at the at the border.

[00:14:59]We also want to say that we are committed as a country to the efforts to ensuring that in the region we deal with this epidemic and we are available to offer support.

[00:15:16]And and and and and we are we are in this discussion with our our our neighbors.

[00:15:23]We want to strengthen diagnostic capacity and treatment infrastructure in those in that in that corridor to make sure that we quickly respond to any threat.

[00:15:37]The public therefore is urged to remain vigilant, adhere to all health guidance issued by the Ministry of Health, and promptly report any suspected cases to the nearest health facility.

[00:15:53]The The Ministry will continue to provide timely updates as the situation keeps on evolving.

[00:16:01]Thank you very much. For God and my country.