Thread by @UgandaMediaCent

@JaneRuth_Aceng Minister of @MinofHealthUG: On 20th September 2022, the Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of the Ebola- Sudan virus in the district of Mubende #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: The outbreak then spread to affect four other districts including Kasanda, Kagadi, Bunyangabu, and Kyegegwa within a period of two weeks #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: Subsequently due to movements of contacts and symptomatic individuals for health services, the outbreak spread to Wakiso District and Kampala City. Bringing the total number of affected authorities to seven #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: All the affected local authorities had been categorized as very high risk or high risk based on the assessment done by the @MinofHealthUG #EbolaOutbreakUG

STATUS | @JaneRuth_Aceng: It is 35 days today since the declaration of the outbreak. The total number of confirmed cases stands at 109 of whom 30 have succumbed to this deadly disease while 34 have been treated and have improved while 45 are under treatment #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: Among the confirmed cases, have also been health workers. To-date fifteen (15) health workers have been infected, of whom six (6) have succumbed to the infection. May their Souls Rest in Peace #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: Of the fifteen (15), six (6) were from private facilities and nine (9) are from the public health sector, this includes the team of medical students who got infected in Mubende RRH #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: We have noted that most of cases tend to visit several private clinics for care before finally going to the public facility as a last resort. This exposes the healthcare workers to infection #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: I therefore appeal to all the health workers to use appropriate protective wear when in the facilities attending to patients #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: Government and partners have set up three Ebola Treatment facilities in Mubende District. A forty-two (42) bed-capacity treatment facility at the Regional Referral Hospital #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: Another forty-two (42) bed-capacity Ebola Treatment facility at the district's Works grounds.

@JaneRuth_Aceng: The third treatment facility is at the original outbreak epicenter: an eight (8) bed capacity facility that is cushioning the main facilities as the center for suspected cases under investigation #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: In Kampala Metropolitan area, we have two permanent treatment facilities in Mulago National Referral Hospital and Entebbe municipality #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: Mulago Ebola Treatment facility is a 120-bed facility that is co-located, but a separate from Mulago National Referral Hospital #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: This facility is currently housing the 50 quarantined contacts from Kampala and Wakiso. They will be evacuated this week to create room for admission ofboth suspected and confirmed cases #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: The second Ebola Treatment facility is the Entebbe National Isolation center in Entebbe Municipality. Its a 67-bed-capacity facility with 8-1CU beds. This is where all the current Kampala Metropolitan confirmed cases are being managed #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: The @MinofHealthUG with support from partners is setting up an additional treatment facility in Mulago sports field. This 64 bed-capacity facility will be built in two phases over a period of four (4) weeks.

@JaneRuth_Aceng: With the completion of this facility, the Ministry of Health will have 351 beds available for treatment of confirmed cases. Furthermore, open spaces have been identified to set up more tents should need arise #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: There is no known treatment for Sudan Ebolavirus. Currently there are a number of promising treatment options that the @MinofHealthUG is using under trial, including monoclonal antibodies & repurposed drugs like Remdeservir donated by the US govt #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: However, the doses available are still very few. So far 13 patients have received these trial drugs with relatively good outcomes.4 patients admitted in critical condition succumbed emphasizing the importance of early reporting &hence treatment #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: The @MinofHealthUG will be evaluating the efficacy of three candidate Ebola Sudan vaccines on contacts in the coming weeks. The candidate vaccines are; Oxford from the United Kingdom, Sabin from the USA and Merck from the USA #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: The main objective is to evaluate their efficacy to protect primary contacts of Ebola patients within 29 days of contact. We plan to vaccinate contacts of 150 confirmed cases (3000) initially #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: The trial preparation has been concluded and we estimate that we may begin the trial in two weeks' time #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: The outbreak epicenter remains Mubende and Kasanda. Specifically, in Mubende district: the most affected sub counties are; Madudu, Kiruuma, and Southern Division of the municipality #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: While in Kassanda; the sub counties of Kikandwa and Kilwana are the most affected #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: At the beginning of the outbreak, the epidemic spread to the three districts; of Bunyangabo, Kagadi and Kyegegwa. These districts have completed the 21 days of contacts follow up and the individuals have been retired from the contact list #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: Since there has been no secondary transmission, we believe transmission may have been interrupted. However, intensified surveillance continues in these districts for another 21 days to complete the 42 days' cycle before they can be cleared #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: To stop further exportation of cases into other parts of the country, His Excellency the President of Uganda directed the restricting of movements into and out of the districts of Mubende and Kasanda #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: However, internal movement is allowed, and transit vehicles are free to cross through the two districts as long as they don't stop to pick passengers along the way #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: The President's directive of restricted movement was based on optimizing control efforts in the same geographical area, and minimizing spread to other areas #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: The penetration of Ebola in heavily populated areas creates a situation of rapid spread and is associated with sustained and protracted person-to- person transmission #EbolaOutbreakUG

@JaneRuth_Aceng: urban Ebola transmission is complex, and Government will do all it takes to ensure control of transmission in the urban settings #EbolaOutbreakUG