The Minister of Health in Uganda said it will soon receive more than 400 doses of new trial vaccines to fight the Ebola Sudan strain.
Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng is quoted by NTV Uganda stating that two types of vaccines from the UK and the United States are currently in phases two and three of trial to guarantee safety.
She announced this during a high-level emergency ministerial meeting on cross-border collaboration for preparedness and response to the Ebola outbreak in Uganda.
Yesterday, an Ebola patient died at a hospital in Uganda’s capital, the health ministry has confirmed. He was the 19th victim in the current outbreak of the deadly virus but the first to die in Kampala.
There have been 54 confirmed cases in Uganda but no others have been recorded in the city.
20 people have recovered including five medics from the first hospital where a case was treated. They were discharged on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the British High Commission in Kampala has announced that the United Kingdom will provide £2.2m to WHO, UNICEF and WFP to support Uganda’s response to the current Ebola outbreak.
The funds will be used to enhance case investigation and contact tracing at the local level, support laboratory diagnosis, and strengthen co-ordination of the response.
It will also be directed towards helping prevent transmission of the disease through both strengthened engagement with local communities, and improved sanitation and hygiene provision in key installations – such as community health facilities and schools – in the affected areas; an
The money will further support transport, logistics and storage for the overall UN response – including transportation of medical supplies and PPE, provision of cold chain equipment, and supporting the establishment of Ebola Treatment Units.
In addition, a UK Government expert has deployed to support WHO in Uganda, at their request, with expertise on case management.