Ebola: Sudanese embassy in Kampala issues warning as Uganda on high alert

The Sudanese embassy in Kampala has issued an advisory urging Sudanese citizens in the country to follow preventative measures and avoid unnecessary gatherings after Uganda confirmed imported Ebola infections linked to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where a major outbreak continues to escalate and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency.

Health authorities in Uganda have introduced a raft of strict public health measures for schools, public institutions, transport systems, and mass gatherings, as the country braces for the start of the second school term amid renewed fears over the spread of Ebola.

According to local media reports, the Ugandan health ministry has instructed all schools to implement new standard operating procedures, including the installation of handwashing stations with running water and soap, temperature screening checkpoints, and isolation areas for suspected cases. Mandatory handwashing for students, staff and visitors has also been introduced at school entrances and at regular intervals throughout the day.

The ministry says schools are among the environments most vulnerable to the spread of infectious diseases because of the close daily interaction between pupils, teachers, and support staff. Officials say the new directives are intended to create a safer learning environment and reduce the risk of transmission.

Boarding schools have been instructed to carry out routine health monitoring of students, reduce overcrowding in dormitories and sleeping quarters, and closely monitor pupils returning from affected areas or school holidays. Schools are also being told to maintain detailed records of visitors and student movements in and out of educational institutions.

Authorities have ordered the immediate isolation of any student, teacher or staff member displaying Ebola-like symptoms, including fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, bleeding, and general weakness. Schools have also been barred from transporting suspected cases directly without first consulting public health authorities.

Schools urged to tighten precautions

Uganda’s ministry of education and sports says the new guidance must be circulated widely across schools, universities and training institutes, urging administrators, teachers, and parents to comply strictly with the measures during the new academic term.

The ministry spokesperson, Denis Mugimba, says schools are expected to reduce unnecessary gatherings and activities while monitoring students closely for early signs of illness. Students are also being encouraged to report suspected cases immediately.

As part of the preventative measures, authorities are advising the public to avoid handshakes, hugging and the sharing of personal items. Schools and dormitories are also being told to ensure proper ventilation and carry out regular cleaning and disinfection of classrooms, toilets, dining halls, school transport, and high-contact surfaces.

Measures extended to public gatherings

The health ministry has expanded the restrictions to include churches, mosques, markets, transport hubs, and public events. Organisers of religious, political, and sporting gatherings are now required to notify health authorities in advance and provide handwashing facilities, temperature screening points, waste management systems, and temporary isolation rooms for suspected cases.

Bus stations, taxi ranks, motorcycle taxis, and markets are also subject to heightened health surveillance measures, including the regular disinfection of vehicles, provision of hand sanitisers and restrictions on transporting anyone showing symptoms of the disease.

Uganda’s permanent secretary for health, Dr Diana Atwine, says the country has extensive experience dealing with Ebola outbreaks and is capable of detecting any new hotspot within 24 hours.

Atwine says rapid response teams, laboratory units and surveillance officers have been deployed along high-risk border regions stretching from Arua to Kisoro, amid continuing cross-border movement between Uganda and eastern Congo.

Ugandan health authorities have confirmed two imported Ebola cases and one death, while the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reportedly surpassed 528 suspected infections and more than 130 deaths.

Sudanese embassy issues advisory

The Sudanese embassy in Kampala has issued an advisory urging members of the Sudanese community to follow preventative measures and avoid unnecessary gatherings.

The embassy warns that Ebola is a serious viral disease transmitted through contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or through handling infected bodies without protection.

It says the main symptoms include sudden fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, bleeding, and severe weakness, urging Sudanese nationals to wash their hands regularly, avoid direct contact with infected or suspected individuals and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms appear. The embassy has also circulated the Ugandan health ministry’s emergency hotline for reporting suspected cases as the country remains on high alert with students returning to schools and fears growing over further transmission.

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