Kampala, Uganda | The recent increase in confirmed monkeypox cases in Uganda has ignited concerns and debates about the potential reintroduction of preventive measures, such as physical distancing and lockdowns, to prevent further spread of the virus.
As of Tuesday 3, September 2024, Uganda has recorded ten monkeypox cases across various regions since the first two cases were detected in late July.
While the initial cases were traced back to the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the disease is rapidly spreading and has claimed numerous lives, Dr. Henry Kyobe, the Incident Commander at the Ministry of Health, reported that recent cases have emerged from different parts of Uganda, including Kampala, Mayuge, and Elegu.
Disturbingly, these new cases cannot be linked to individuals who have traveled abroad, indicating local transmission.
Dr. Kyobe mentioned that they are utilizing the infrastructure developed during the COVID-19 and Ebola outbreaks to control the spread of Mpox.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ongoing outbreaks of monkeypox in Congo and elsewhere in Africa to be a global emergency.
Over 200 samples from suspected cases have been tested at various facilities, including the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), the National Public Health Laboratory in Butabika, and mobile laboratories in Bwera, Kasese district.
Uganda has a history of effectively managing cross-border public health emergencies, such as the Ebola outbreak, often through strict measures like lockdowns and border closures.
The country, for example, imposed one of the world’s longest school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given this history, there is growing concern among the public that similar stringent measures might be reinstated to curb the spread of monkeypox, a disease characterized by slow recovery rates and a low death rate …
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SOURCE: dispatch.ug