At least eight Ugandan children have been confirmed to have succumbed to the deadly viral haemorrhagic Sudan strain of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) since the official declaration of an outbreak in September 2022, the Ministry of Education and Sports has revealed.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) declared an outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease on September 20, 2022 after a case was confirmed in Mubende Regional Referral Hospital. But weeks before the official declaration, some people had reportedly complained of Ebola-like symptoms although deaths were blamed on witchcraft.
Official MoH figures from Dr Jane Ruth Aceng’s Ministry of Health (MoH) put the number of cumulative confirmed Ebola cases at 135, current admissions at 18 and number of deaths at 53 as of November 06. It has now emerged that the fatalities include children, those in schools inclusive.
“On 26th October 2022, Ministry of Health confirmed that there were six cases in school-aged children who attended classes at three different schools in Rubaga Division of Kampala. One of the children died from the disease and 170 contacts were identified from these cases,” explained Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the State Minister of Primary Education in a statement she read on behalf of First Lady and Education Minister Janet Kataaha Kainembabazi Museveni.
“Among children, a total of 23 cases had been confirmed, of which 8 had died while 5 had fully recovered and 16 were under isolation by 4th November, 2022. Overall, 11 school children have been diagnosed with EVD. Five schools in Kampala Capita City Authority, Wakiso District and Mubende District were confirmed as having had some of the children who were infected with EVD.”
The Ministry of Education has now warned that children are at a higher risk of dying of Ebola once they contract the disease than the adults. “As far as children are concerned, they are at a high risk since they require daily contact with peers and their caregivers on a daily basis,” said Dr Moriku. “According to the World Health Organisation (WhO), children who contract the Mbola virus are at higher risk of dying from the disease than adults.”
It was for this reason that Janet Museveni’s Education Ministry has announced an official date for the early closure of schools to avoid mass deaths of students. (See Details HERE).
