Re: Uganda: Ebola Sudan identified in 14-18? deaths including Healthcare worker in Kibaale out of 27 total confirmed cases
Re: Uganda: Ebola Sudan identified in 14-18? deaths including Healthcare worker in Kibaale out of 27 total confirmed cases
Continuing from post above....
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The coordination mechanism at field level has yet to gather momentum and needs improvement. For example, there have been challenges in jump-starting public awareness campaigns, surveillance efforts, and tracking, among other activities. There are insufficient means of transport for patients and of surveillance teams and this has been highlighted during coordination meetings at Kampala (headquarters) level. Information to the public is another clear need that has been identified. Patients in the isolation units are also in need of food while it has been reported that Isolation facilities lack toilets.
According to the Ministry of Health, there is urgent need for more experts to beef up response to the outbreak with priority to epidemiologists to update the epidemiological information on cases, active case search, contact listing and follow-up and communication experts to enhance public information.
Red Cross and Red Crescent action
Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has mobilized a team from the national headquarters that is currently in
the area and will support the field team of staff and volunteers. This is expected to be expanded according to
needs on the ground.
At the same time, the National Society is finalizing a Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) that will allow
Uganda RCS to: train and deploy 100 volunteers1 on public awareness campaigns (including house-tohouse),
case tracking, surveillance and direct support to families affected by the disease with non-food items
(to only families whose household items will need to be destroyed as part of the management of the disease)
psychosocial support (to help families and communities deal with stigma and discrimination that is typically
attached to this disease); and support to case management (procurement of Personal Protection Equipment,
body bags, etc.). The DREF will, thus, enable URCS to provide immediate assistance to about 1.6m indirect
beneficiaries through community sensitization and community disease surveillance.
URCS has benefited from technical support from the IFRC East Africa regional office through the visit of the Coordination and Partnerships
URCS is working closely with the Ministry of Health and other agencies that are active on the ground
including WHO, Center for Disease Control (CDC), MSF Holland, Africa Epidemic Network (AFINET), World
Vision and Uganda Red Cross Society.
The Director General of Health Services led a delegation of senior officials from the Ministry of Health of
Uganda and the World Health Organization (WHO) to the affected district. The delegation held a meeting
with the district task force and health workers. The mission was intended to assess the situation on the
ground; support district response and build confidence of the healthcare workers.
The Ministry of Health of Uganda has continued to coordinate activities, and will chair one Task Force
meeting every day for the foreseeable future during the epidemic period. The Ministry of Health is
coordinating efforts to finalize the case definition, which will allow agencies to focus their efforts in treatment
and public information campaigns. The Government of Uganda is in discussions with the World Food
Programme (WFP) on the provision of food to patients who are in isolation.
Some PPE has been provided by WHO and some by Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF). Already, URCS has
dispatched these items to Kibaale to support the case management team and URCS volunteers with their
work on ground as they also protect themselves against the fever.
MSF Holland arrived in the district to prepare the ground for an isolation unit that they are planning to set up
in the area. This should be up and running by Tuesday, July 31 2012.
Contact information
For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:
? In Uganda: Michael Nataka, Secretary General, Uganda Red Cross Society, Kampala, Uganda;
Phone: +256 41 258 701 Email:
natakam@redcrossug.org;
? IFRC Regional Representation: Charlie Musoka, Operations Delegate; phone +254 20 2835 000,
mobile: +254 (0) 786546032; fax: +254 20 271 2777; email
charlie.musoka@ifrc.org
? IFRC Zone: Daniel Bola?os, Disaster Management Coordinator, Africa; phone: +254 (0)731 067
489; email:
daniel.bolanos@ifrc.org
? IFRC Geneva: Christine South, Operations Support; phone: +41.22.730.45 29; email:
christine.south@ifrc.org
For Resource Mobilization and Pledges:
? IFRC Regional Representation: Douglas Masika, Senior Resource Mobilization Officer; phone:
+254 20 283 5000; email:douglas.masika@ifrc.org
Disaster Management and health coordinators to URCS.
For Performance and Accountability (planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting)
?
IFRC Zone: Robert Ondrusek, PMER/QA Delegate, Africa phone: +254 731 067277; email:
robert.ondrusek@ifrc.org
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http://www.ifrc.org/docs/Appeals/12/MIBUG20120730.pdf
