A 4-year-old child has become the second fatality in Uganda’s ongoing Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Saturday. The child was hospitalized at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, the nation’s capital, and passed away on February 25.
This recent death brings the total number of confirmed Ebola cases in Uganda to ten. The outbreak was initially declared on January 30 following the death of a male nurse who had sought treatment at multiple facilities across Kampala and eastern Uganda.
Health officials had previously discharged eight patients, including relatives of the initial victim, and were hopeful about containing the outbreak. However, the source of the virus remains under investigation, prompting efforts to strengthen surveillance and contact tracing.
Complicating the response is the lack of approved vaccines for the Sudan strain of Ebola responsible for the current outbreak. Additionally, reduced funding due to significant cuts in U.S. aid has raised concerns about the adequacy of resources for disease surveillance and response efforts.
The WHO has allocated at least $3 million to support Uganda’s Ebola response. The organization continues to work with Ugandan health authorities to bolster surveillance, contact tracing, and preventive measures to control the spread of the virus.
Ebola, a deadly hemorrhagic fever, is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
Uganda has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks in the past, including a significant one in 2000 that resulted in hundreds of deaths. The current situation underscores the critical need for robust disease surveillance and response mechanisms to prevent further spread.
