The Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, has assured Ugandans that the outbreak of monkeypox (Mpox) in the country is under control and being managed efficiently by her ministry.
“An emergency response mechanism, the Incident Management System, consistent with what was used to respond to the #Covid-19 pandemic and the 2022 Ebola epidemic response has been activated,” she said.
On July 24, 2024, the Uganda Virus Research Institute confirmed two cases of Mpox from six samples received from Bwera Hospital in Kasese District. No new cases that have been reported across the country.
The World Health Organisation on August 14, 2024, declared the Mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.
Mpox is a self-limiting disease present with pustules or small boils on the skin. Often, it is also associated with high grade fever, swelling of lymph nodes, Headache and general body weakness.
Treatment is symptomatic depending on the complaint as there is no specific treatment for the virus.
According to Aceng, Mpox transmission to humans is by contact with the infected animals. Among humans, it spreads by direct contact with an infected person.
However, she warned that despite the self-limiting nature of Mpox, in a number of cases, the disease can be fatal and may cause death especially in children less than five years, pregnant women and individuals with weak immunity.
“If robust interventions are not made, infection may spread and huge patient case numbers can overwhelm the health systems as we see elsewhere,” she warned.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 17,000 Mpox cases and more than 500 deaths have been reported in 13 countries in Africa, including DR Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi according to the Africa Centre for Disease control and prevention.
The Minister also announced plans to vaccinate residents in 17 districts bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where 14,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported. She expressed concern over vaccine hesitancy, fueled by fears stemming from the #Covid-19 pandemic, and warned that such skepticism could undermine efforts to control epidemics.
“Uganda has 13 vaccines, and malaria will be the 14th. In some countries, like the U.S., they have over 50 vaccines. If we had more, we wouldn’t be dealing with issues like the flu. Let us embrace vaccines,” Dr. Aceng stated.
She attributed the rise in non-communicable diseases to poor lifestyle choices rather than vaccines, noting that 25% of Ugandans suffer from high blood pressure.
