Uganda has registered a significant rise in Mpox (Monkeypox) cases, with over 400 confirmed infections since the outbreak began on July 24, 2024.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) report on December 10 on its X handle, on November 10, 2024, Uganda confirmed 443 cases of Mpox, with 291 new cases reported between October 19 and November 10 alone.
The organization noted that the affected areas include Kampala as the hardest-hit district with 182 cases, followed by Wakiso (67 cases) and Nakasongola (56 cases), among others.
The Ministry of Health in Uganda has actively responded by engaging communities to raise awareness, combat misinformation, and encourage individuals to seek medical help.
The public, it said, should take a break from sexual activities with new partners and continue to use condoms for 12 weeks after recovering from Mpox, avoid close physical contact with others, and wash their hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as they avoid touching their face.
“As long as communities take these precautions seriously, there will lesser cases of Mpox or even reduce completely,” they said.
The outbreak of Monkey Pox was first identified in Kasese District, which borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where two initial cases were confirmed by the Uganda Virus Research Institute however, the virus has spread significantly throughout the country.
The Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) expressed concerns regarding the rapid increase in cases, noting that the region has reported a staggering 500% increase in Mpox cases compared to the whole year of 2023.
This prompted the health authorities to conduct the ongoing surveillance and contact tracing efforts to manage and contain the outbreak that has spread rapidly and started causing death in the country.
The government has classified 23 districts as high-risk areas for Mpox transmission and has implemented various control measures to mitigate further spread of the disease through engagement of community initiatives that have been launched to educate the public about Mpox symptoms and prevention strategies.
The situation remains critical with health officials closely monitoring developments while continuing to implement strategies aimed at controlling this outbreak.
