Uganda is set to begin vaccinating citizens from Monday as it fights the potential spread of the disease from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
There are fears the current outbreak in the central African country could soon spread to countries like Uganda.
Parts of Uganda’s western border are not far from areas within DR Congo where the Ebola outbreak is being contained.
Health officials in DR Congo are battling the outbreak which continues to kill many. The death toll according to Congolese officials continues to increase.
Uganda’s Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng told journalists that some 2,100 vaccinations will be administered in districts near the border.
She said tens of thousands cross the border weekly for trade and family visits and other purposes.
Aceng says vaccination is required due to the “risk of cross border transmission was assessed to be very high … hence the need to protect our health workers with this vaccine”.
The Ebola virus which is transmitted by bats after detection in DRC was named after the Ebola river. Ebola leads to internal and external bleeding which can cause damage done to blood vessels.
Source: Africafeeds.com
