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By Onzoma Albert Arua City The Arua City Ebola Taskforce is urging the public to strictly follow Ministry of Health Standard Operating Procedures after two suspects escaped from the isolation center in Oli, coinciding with the end of the initial 28-day surveil
Arua City Ebola Taskforce Team with other stakeholders during the 6th Taskforce Meeting.
By Onzoma Albert
Arua City
The Arua City Ebola Taskforce is urging the public to strictly follow Ministry of Health Standard Operating Procedures after two suspects escaped from the isolation center in Oli, coinciding with the end of the initial 28-day surveillance period.
Authorities warn that porous border crossings and ongoing cross-border activities pose significant infection risks to the West Nile region.
These concerns and directives were emphasized during the Arua City 6th Ebola Taskforce Meeting.
Dr. Pontius Apangu, Principal Health Officer of Arua City and secretary of the Ebola Taskforce, confirmed the escape and encouraged residents to remain vigilant and adhere strictly to preventive guidelines.
“Since the outbreak we have had 48 people admitted there of this 48 by nationality 11 are Congolese, again of this 48 cumulatively we actively have 11 people as I report today, we lost two to suspect death and we again lost two to escape, so we have discharged 33 people since the 18th of May since we started the Ebola Virus Response” he said.
Security has been intensified following the escape, with Resident City Commissioner Betty Akello Otekat, calling for the immediate arrest of individuals using illegal routes along the porous Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border.
Godfrey Jonah Mbiggiti, Deputy Resident City Commissioner of Arua City in charge of Ayivu Division, strongly warned against crossing into the DRC via illegal routes due to the severe Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) threat.
“DRC is our neighbor the number of confirmed cases from that side is not a small number and been bordering the side which is badly affected like that we should at least pull up and adhere to safety guidelines” he said.
The taskforce had suspended all mass public entertainment events, including discos, music shows, and betting operations, and mandated hand-washing facilities at public spaces and markets.
Traditional healers have also been cautioned against treating patients with Ebola-like symptoms in shrines, as this increases the risk of community-wide transmission.
The 2026 Ebola outbreak in the DRC has resulted in 1,274 confirmed cases and 360 deaths, corresponding to a case-fatality rate of about 28%. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, is mainly concentrated in northeastern provinces.
Neighboring Uganda has reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, with the most recent case recorded on June 21. Authorities continue to monitor the border closely to manage the ongoing threat.