Kitgum District on Wednesday activated an Ebola preparedness task force and planned for intensified surveillance and community sensitisation measures. This follows the recent outbreak of the disease in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Jimmy Segawa Ebil, the Resident District Commissioner of Kitgum, who heads the task force, said the newly constituted district Ebola task force will coordinate surveillance, testing, risk communication, and emergency response within the district.
He said health teams would intensify surveillance to identify suspected cases, while laboratories would be prepared to collect and transport samples for testing at government facilities.
“We agreed that we need to sensitise people in the community. We shall do it through the media, churches, burials, marriages, and other social gatherings,” he said.
The RDC added that religious leaders, including churches and mosques, would be engaged to continuously spread Ebola prevention messages to communities. The district also agreed to use government-funded radio airtime under the RDC and the district chairperson’s office to relay public health information.
Ebil urged residents to remain calm but vigilant, saying the Ministry of Health had advised people to continue with normal activities while observing preventive measures.
He cautioned against handshakes, hugging, and unnecessary physical contact, saying communities should avoid exposure to body fluids that could spread infection.
The task force further resolved to establish an isolation unit at Kitgum General Hospital to handle suspected Ebola cases, while arrangements for transport and sample referral to Gulu and Kampala are being strengthened.
Ebil revealed that information, education, and communication materials on Ebola prevention would be widely shared through schools, markets, community leaders, and social media platforms as the district awaits official materials from the central government.
Ebil said schools reopening next week were also identified as high-risk areas requiring urgent preparedness measures, and the DEO has been tasked to communicate to all school heads to prepare to prevent infections.
Titus Komakech, the District Surveillance Focal Person, said schools had been directed to implement standard operating procedures issued by the Ministry of Health before learners report back.
“Schools are supposed to put in place sanitation and hygiene measures like hand-washing facilities at entrances, classrooms, and dormitories,” Komakech said. Komakech added that areas of mass gathering, including churches, mosques, and markets, would also be engaged to enforce Ebola prevention guidelines-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
