Four-Year-Old Dies from Ebola Amid New Outbreak in Uganda

A four-year-old child has become the second fatality in Uganda’s recent Ebola outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Saturday that Uganda’s Ministry of Health confirmed the case at Mulago Hospital, the country’s primary referral center for Ebola. The child passed away on Tuesday after testing positive for the virus.

The new outbreak, Uganda’s sixth, was officially declared in late January. On Tuesday, Uganda also confirmed 10 cases of a new strain of the Ebola virus, known as the Sudan strain, which currently lacks an approved vaccine.

The first fatality linked to this outbreak was a male nurse who died prior to the outbreak’s official declaration on January 30.

In February, the Ministry of Health reported that eight Ebola patients had been successfully discharged from care, but at least 265 individuals who had contact with the infected patients remain under strict quarantine in Kampala.

Ebola, a highly contagious disease, is transmitted through contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, and muscle pain. Uganda has previously experienced five Ebola outbreaks, with the latest involving the Sudan strain, which has yet to receive a vaccine for widespread use.

The 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa claimed over 11,000 lives, making it the deadliest in history.

In related news, the fight against Ebola in Africa faces challenges due to cuts in funding for NGOs that support surveillance and response efforts.

These cuts have been attributed to reductions in aid from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which has impacted several organizations crucial to combating infectious diseases.

Charles Olaro, Director of Health Services at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, explained that these aid reductions affect NGOs that assist countries like Uganda in their efforts to control outbreaks like Ebola.