The current outbreak in parts of West Africa of the deadly Ebola disease, whose cure is yet unknown, has sparked serious global concern and sometimes unjustified panic. But the example of how Uganda successfully contained its own outbreaks in the past offers hope that the disease can be dealt with effectively if health authorities take decisive and prompt measures.
Uganda has had three outbreaks of the Ebola epidemic during which a number of people lost their lives, but many others who were infected survived.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Uganda’s first outbreak happened between December 2000 and January 2001. Some 425 cases were reported, resulting in 224 deaths in Gulu, Masindi and Mbarara districts. Two hundred people recovered from the disease.
The second outbreak happened between December 2007 and January 2008 and 149 cases were reported. There were 37 deaths in Bundibugyo District in the western of the country. At least 112 infected persons recovered.
The latest outbreak was between June and August 2012 during which 24 cases were reported out of which 17 deaths occurred in the Kabale District. Seven people survived.
Judging from the statistics presented by WHO, it is important to note that Uganda has a record of successfully managing Ebola, or the deaths from the highly infectious disease would have been huge. On October 4, 2012, Uganda declared the end of the last outbreak.
In an interview with Dr. Sam Orach, Executive Director of Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau (UCMB), AMECEA Online Newsestablished that Uganda managed Ebola through collaborations, quick response, training of health workers from the grassroots level, creation of public awareness and strict surveillance.
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“We have recognized and accepted the fact that as a conference or as the Catholic Church alone we cannot manage the magnitude of health emergencies like Ebola outbreak or any other disease outbreak,” Dr. Orach explained.
UCMB has forged close partnership with the government to respond to health emergencies like Ebola, Dr. Orach said.
“I am a member of the health Policy Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Health. We participate as the Catholic Church, the Protestant Church and indeed Muslims in various committees working on health,” he said
“Usually when there are outbreaks of that type, two levels of committees are formed at the ministry of health: the technical committee and an overall steering committee, which look at the policies and undertake the oversight on appropriate responses,” he explained.
“In the past when an outbreak occurred, whenever we heard of Ebola, the information went out very fast and the country was swift to respond,” said Dr. Orach.
“The Diocesan Health Coordinator in the area where such an outbreak occurs becomes part of the consultative team from that particular area. They work together with the Ministry of Health at that level, exchanging information and creating awareness. Also a lot of surveillance is done.”
Dr. Orach said that capacity building of medical personnel and health workers from grassroots level has also been a major contributing factor towards control of Ebola in the country whenever there is an outbreak.
“Patients first report to the nearest health centers whenever they fall sick and even before proper diagnosis is done and the patient is quarantined, the possibility of infecting others is very high. This is why we felt it was important to empower health workers at grassroots level and equip health facilities at the very basic levels,” Dr. Orach explained.
When the first Ebola outbreak happened in Gulu in December 2000, Dr. Orach explained that the country was not well prepared, which was why a high number of infections and deaths were recorded. In subsequent years the Catholic Church has been able to buy enough equipment through the support of donor agencies and distribute to all Catholic health facilities in the country.
“The intention was that the consumable parts of the kits such as the disinfectants could be used by the facilities if there were no outbreak and be replenished,” he said.
When the second outbreak occurred, the Church again managed to get money to provide protective equipment to all health facilities belonging to the Catholic Church, Protestant churches and Muslims. The church did the same during the third outbreak in 2012.
Dr. Orach said that at the moment the ministry of health is doing serious surveillance at all points of entry to the country. In addition people are being sensitized through posters and fliers about Ebola to increase public awareness.
Ebola has no known cure. “We just used supportive hospital care and this worked well for those patients whose diagnosis was promptly done before the virus took a toll on their health,” Dr. Orach told AMECEA Online News.
Supportive hospital care for Ebola patients includes providing fluids for rehydration, maintaining blood pressure, providing oxygen when and as required, replacement of lost blood and treatment for other infections that may develop.
Source: Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Social Communications