The skyline of Uganda's capital city Kampala
Kampala/Bali: Confirmed Ebola cases in Uganda have gone up to 141 with 6 new cases reported in the last week to the World Health Organization (WHO). Besides, there are 22 more probable cases.
There have also been 2 more confirmed Ebola deaths and 1 probable death in the country last week. So far a total of 55 confirmed and 22 probable deaths have been reported there. 73 patients have so far recovered.
The government’s efforts to respond to the outbreak have slowed transmission in most districts, and two districts have not reported any cases for 42 days, indicating the virus is no longer present in those districts.
However, in the past week, the district of Jinja reported its first case, becoming the ninth district to be affected.
“WHO and partners are supporting the government to intensify detailed case investigation, contact tracing, community engagement, and infection prevention and control measures,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated in Bali where he was attending the G-20 Summit. He informed that since the outbreak began, the Government of Uganda, together with researchers, funders, companies, regulatory authorities and other experts had been working under a global effort coordinated by WHO to accelerate the development and deployment of vaccines for use in trials.
“I’m pleased to announce that a WHO committee of external experts has evaluated three candidate vaccines and agreed that all three should be included in the planned trial in Uganda,” he said, adding that WHO and Uganda’s Minster of Health had considered and accepted the committee’s recommendation.
The first doses of the vaccine are expected to be shipped to Uganda next week.
A separate group of experts has selected two investigational therapeutics for a trial, as well as a trial design that is now being submitted for approval by WHO and authorities in Uganda.
– global bihari bureau
