Schools to close early in Uganda to curb the spread of the Ebola

23 children were infected, 6 of whom died.

The Ugandan authorities have demanded the closure of schools to curb the spread of the Ebola virus disease which has already killed around 50 people in the country since the outbreak of the epidemic on September 20.

The government has demanded the closure of all kindergartens and primary and secondary schools in the country from November 25.

At least 23 cases of infected children have already been confirmed, including 8 deaths recorded as of November 6, 2022.

“Closing schools earlier will reduce the areas of concentration where children are in close contact with other children, teachers and other staff who could potentially spread the virus on a daily basis”, underlines the Ministry of Education in a statement.

President Yoweri Museveni backed the decision, saying in a statement that the closure “will reduce concentration areas where children come into daily close contact with other children, teachers and other staff who may be spreading the virus. “.

In a statement, he called on the government to “intensify public health awareness and subsequently try to better understand the community, cultural and traditional issues”.

The Ministry of Health “must intensify surveillance in the various affected districts”, according to the Head of State.

In view of the rapid expansion of Ebola, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for a “strengthened global response” and increased donor investment in the response.

Earlier this month, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni ordered the lockdown of Kassanda and Mubende, two districts considered the epicentre of the outbreak.

He imposed a travel ban, a curfew and the closure of public places.

In total, Uganda reported 23 new cases of Ebola among schoolchildren.

According to the government, 53 people, including 8 children, have died of Ebola out of 135 cases since the outbreak began on September 20.

Before the official declaration of the epidemic, 21 deaths had already been recorded.

 

Source
AA

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