BY HOPE

PRESS/VT

During an updated report of the Monkey pox situation in the country, the Ministry of Health asserted that donations of vaccines to protect citizens against monkey pox are to be received in February.

Several districts still remain a hotspot for the viral disease with cases increasing on a daily. Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng the minister for health has cautioned the public to remain vigilant and undertake preventative measures to stop its spread.

Uganda is set to receive 10,000 doses of Monkey Pox vaccine donations aimed at interrupting and stopping transmission in order to limit infections. According to the Ministry of Health, the vaccines are slated to arrive in the country in the month of February. This was addressed today by the Ministry of Health officials in a media briefing at the Uganda Media Centre.

According to Mary Boyd, the US CDC Director in Uganda, Uganda is among the top three countries affected with monkey pox and the US government has committed itself to donating a million mpox doses to affected countries, Uganda being a beneficiary where 10,000 doses will be allocated.

Dr. Boyd states that the doses have been tested and gone through clinical trial hence proven viable for use by different organizations. Testing kits are also meant to be provided.

In a report by the Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, there has been an increase in the cases across the country where cases have been reported in 71 districts and 52 districts continue to report cases however, with an exception of Adjumani.

She states that the outbreak is prevalent among mobile workers that increase infections.However, Dr. Aceng also mentioned some of the interventions that the ministry is carrying out to limit the spread of infections.

Despite the efforts to contain mpox in the country, the public has also been urged to remain vigilant after a confirmation on the outbreak of Maburg in the neighboring Tanzania especially in the districts of greater Masaka that are proven to be hotspots.