Uganda’s Ministry of Health (MoH) has registered the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) death in the capital Kampala, raising fears that the viral haemorrhagic disease could spread faster in the populated city.
Uganda confirmed the 2022 Ebola outbreak in September in the District of Mubende but the disease has since been reported in other districts such as Kyegegwa, Kagadi and Kassanda.
The official Ebola death toll now stands at 19 but this number could be higher than reported since some deaths were recorded weeks before the official confirmation of the outbreak but locals had attributed these to a strange disease and witchcraft.
As of October 09, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng’s MoH put the number of confirmed Ebola cases at 48 while recoveries stood at 19. Those who have recovered include five health workers who were discharged from Entebbe Hospital on Tuesday, October 11, 2022. Uganda’s MoH is following up on 1,049 people believed to have had contact with confirmed cases.
Now, while the disease had been confined nearly 150km out of the capital Kampala, Minister Aceng has confirmed that the city has registered its first Ebola death.
The minister revealed that the Ebola patient was being treated at the Kiruddu General Hospital in Kampala on Friday, October 07, 2022. She assured Ugandans that the health workers who handled this patient were very well protected, reducing the possibility of them contracting the EVD.
Aceng further noted the deceased hailed from Mubende District but had run away from home, making it difficult for those trailing him to get him.
The man would later arrive at Kiruddu “seriously ill” and did not make it.
The man had concealed his identity and his real name was not discovered until the time of his burial.
“He changed his name from the name that we originally knew. We got to learn when he was taken back for burial in Mubende and the leaders in his area intercepted the team that took the body and we had to identify the man as the one who was on our contact list,” explained Aceng.
The deceased had thought that he had been bewitched. He is even said to have changed him name and consulted a traditional healer in the District of Luweero. Minister Aceng recently warned Ugandans against confusing Ebola with witchcraft. (Read Story Here).
The confirmation of Kampala’s first Ebola death came hours before President Museveni’s second Ebola address. (Read Details Here).
