Atwine orders stricter Ebola screening at DRC border crossings

Uganda has ordered stricter Ebola screening at border crossings with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the enforcement of standard operating procedures in public places and border communities as the neighbouring country battles an outbreak.

Speaking at a meeting in Mpondwe, Kasese district, on Thursday, Health ministry permanent secretary Dr Diana Atwine criticised immigration officers at the Mpondwe-Lhubiriha border, accusing some of allowing Congolese nationals into Uganda without adequate checks.

Atwine warned that officials found facilitating unauthorised crossings risk arrest and dismissal.

She urged the public, particularly residents of border communities, to remain vigilant, saying Uganda remained at risk because of its proximity to the outbreak and the movement of people across the border.

Although Uganda has no confirmed Ebola cases, Atwine expressed concern over reports that patients in Kenya and Nigeria had travelled through the country. Dr Rude Bwambale, chairperson of parliament’s health committee, commended the ministry of Health’s response and called for heightened vigilance.

He said the government was considering how to support communities that depend on cross-border trade while minimising the risk of Ebola transmission.

Bwambale also said Uganda had established a centre on the DRC side of the border where Ugandan doctors provide medical assistance to Congolese nationals seeking care.

Kasese LC V chairperson Eliphazi Bukombi Muhindi expressed confidence in Uganda’s preparedness, citing the country’s experience with the 2007 Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic.

He called for severe penalties for immigration officials who knowingly facilitate unsafe border crossings. The Health ministry convened officials from 11 districts bordering the DRC at a one-stop centre in Mpondwe on Thursday.

The meeting was also attended by a delegation from the DRC. The meeting came as Kenya and Nigeria reported Ebola patients who had travelled through Uganda. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said both patients had passed through Entebbe International Airport on October 3.

Dr Wessam Mankoula, the agency’s head of emergency preparedness and response, said investigators were examining whether the patients could have been exposed to the virus through shared equipment or other contact. He stressed, however, that no link had been confirmed.

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