‎By Alex Pithua

‎The Ministry of Health (MoH) in partnership with ADRA-Uganda have encouraged Zombo district  Ebola taskforce  to be extra vigilant as they monitor and  control the spread of epidemic.

‎This remark was made over the weekend during a one-day engagement with the taskforce at the Zombo district health boardroom.

‎As part of it's efforts toward Ebola containment, ADRA-Uganda conducted a one-day engagement and sensitization with the taskforce, donated 25hand watching stations and Jik for key public places, dust bins for health facilities, 40 boxes of gloves, face masks, 100 surveillance registers for 25 schools which are at the border points.

‎Dr Ronald Miria Ocaatre, Assistant Commissioner Health Promotion at the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Henry Samanya of ADRA-Uganda Ebola Response coordinator reminded the taskforce the importance of early intervention and concerted effort as control mechanism to threat of Ebola spillovers.

‎Zombo and Arua districts are considered high risk due to proximity with Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic Of Congo which is believed to the epicenter of the outbreak of Ebola epidemic.

‎Samanya told the taskforce that their resources and interventions are channelled to "Pilar of risk communication and community engagement.

Assorted items donated to Zombo district Ebola taskforce by ADRA-Uganda

‎He said they intended to first engage district taskforce and eventually embark on expand training stakeholders, conducting sensitization and outreaches to concentrated  public places including markets, Church and Mosques, schools among others.

‎"So the meeting is to deceminate information to the various teams involved in fight against Ebola spread." Samanya

‎"There are 37 high risk districts in Uganda according to MoH," Dr Ocaatre revealed adding that, five  are very high risk districts including Zombo and Arua in West Nile region.

‎"We need to see how we can manage movement. If people have genuine reason to enter Uganda, the should enter through gazetted borders for screening." Dr Miria Ocaatre stressed

‎Laboratory reports and tests investigated in Zombo are cumulatively  ten (10) and all tests results are negative.

‎The Zombo district Health Officer (DHO), Dr Mark Bonny Bramali observed that although Zombo is still safe managing the borders are challenging influx of Congolese nationals who sneaks into the district though the porous borders.

‎"We need to invest in logistics to respond to alert  and community to fight this pandemic." Dr. Bramali

‎He appealed to more partners to support the district response to control the spread of Ebola.

‎For his part, Bruno Manano, the Assistant RDC Zombo district, who represented RDC, Festus Ayikubua the Chairperson Zombo district taskforce members expressed concern saying that Congolese are sneaking into the district to take refuge with their relatives.

‎Mr Manano commended the community members for giving alert to the taskforce.

‎According to the World Health Organization;

‎The Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to evolve rapidly, with increasing case numbers and geographic spread.

‎As of 10 June, a cumulative of 676 confirmed cases, including 136 deaths, have been reported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

‎As of 11 June, Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases including two deaths, as well as one probable case who has died.

‎In Uganda, the outbreak remains epidemiologically linked to transmission originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with evidence of both imported infections and secondary transmission among contacts and healthcare workers.

‎Uganda has not reported any new cases in the past six days.

‎National authorities in the two affected countries, in collaboration with WHO and partners, are implementing a comprehensive package of response measures.

‎A regional preparedness and prioritization framework continues to guide readiness activities across the African Region.

MoH and ADRA holding engagement meeting with Zombo district Ebola taskforce recently. ( By Alex Pithua)

Alex Pithua is news editor at Zoomer Africa your number one grassroot information hub for Africa news stories and updates