The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday called on neighboring countries to boost their preparedness against Ebola as the deadly virus spreads in the Ugandan capital, increasing the high risk of further spread, reported The VOA News.
The WHO said Uganda has registered more than 150 confirmed and probable cases, including 64 deaths, since the health ministry first declared the outbreak on September 20.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters 17 cases have been confirmed in Kampala since the deadly disease spread to the Ugandan capital last week.
“Although these cases are linked to known clusters, the very fact that there are cases in a densely populated city underscores the very real risk of further transmission,” he said, speaking from WHO headquarters in Geneva.
He warned that there is a very urgent need for increased alertness and readiness in districts and surrounding countries.
Ebola spreads through bodily fluids, with common symptoms being fever, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhea.
Tedros said the UN health agency had on Tuesday released an additional aid of $5.7 million from its contingency fund for emergencies, in addition to the $5 million previously released to tackle the Uganda crisis.
He said the health body was working closely with the Ugandan government and other partners to respond to the outbreak. The strain circulating in the latest Ebola outbreak in Uganda is known as the Sudan Ebola virus. There is currently no vaccine for the strain, although there are several candidate vaccines heading toward clinical trials.
In related news, on Tuesday, the WHO said that its emergency committee had determined that monkeypox should continue to be classified as a global health emergency. The UN health agency first declared monkeypox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern [PHEIC] on July 23. So far, more than 70,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported in over 100 countries.
