YUMBE BREATHES EASY AFTER SUSPECTED EBOLA CASES TEST NEGATIVE

Members of Yumbe District Ebola Taskforce attending the weekly meeting on FRIDAY. PHOTO BY ROBERT ELEMA

By Robert Elema

Yumbe

For several days, anxiety hung over communities in Yumbe District as news spread that three people suspected of having Ebola Virus Disease had been isolated and samples taken for testing.

Rumors moved quickly through trading centers, schools, and villages. Some residents avoided crowded places, while others worried about the possibility of another deadly outbreak in a district that sits along a busy cross-border corridor.

But after days of uncertainty, relief finally came when health authorities announced that laboratory results had confirmed all three suspected cases were negative for Ebola.

Dr George Angupale Okoboa, the acting Yumbe District Health Officer during an Ebola task force meeting on Friday said, three people presenting Ebola like symptoms were isolated but one unfortunately died.

He said the patients were reportedly bleeding and coughing blood, prompting health officials to withhold the deceased’s body. “One of the patients was investigated when he has already died. Due to the Ebola era, we had to investigate this case and kept the body in a holding space,” Dr Okoboa said.

“This person died on the eve of Wednesday but the body was released to the relatives on Thursday. We delayed to release the deceased’s body because without knowing the result of the samples collected would put the lives of the health workers and the community at risk,” he added

Dr Okoboa said, at the moment, Yumbe has no confirmed case of Ebola and urges the public to remain vigilant to keep the district safe.

The announcement brought a collective sigh of relief among residents, health workers, and local leaders who had been closely monitoring the situation. “We were very worried when we heard about the suspected cases,” said Ms Harriet Draleru, a resident of Yumbe Town Council. “People were talking about Ebola everywhere. When the results came back negative, many of us felt relieved.”

She said, during the COVID 19 period, their children lost a lot in Education due to the lockdown and that they were worried of a possible lockdown which would again affect the schools.

A test of preparedness

Although the cases turned out not to be Ebola, the incident served as an important test of Yumbe’s preparedness to respond to public health emergencies.

According to district health officials, the rapid response demonstrated the vigilance of health workers who remain on high alert due to the threat of infectious disease outbreaks in the region.

“The purpose of surveillance is to detect and investigate any suspected case early,” explained George Madrara, the Principal Health Inspector. “Even when results turn out negative, the response is important because it helps prevent possible spread if the disease were present.”

He said, there is a need to mobilize the partners to support the taskforce with resources so that they are able to respond to this Ebola disease. “We want to inform our partners that we are not duplicating things. As you (NGOs) expect resources from the national offices but there is a need to raise what is quite immediate for us to be able to respond,” he added.

Lessons for the Future

Yumbe’s location near international borders makes residents particularly sensitive to reports of infectious diseases. Local leaders say the incident revealed the need for stronger public awareness campaigns to ensure residents receive accurate information from trusted sources.

Mr Fhadil Lemeriga, the prime minister for Aringa Cultural institution said, information regarding such epidemic is very sensitive and the rumour that circulated about the three suspected cases created a lot of fear in the community. “When people hear the word Ebola, fear spreads immediately. We need continuous sensitization by the authorities so that communities understand the facts and know what actions to take,” he said.

He said people also stress on the importance of obtaining information from official sources rather than relying on rumours circulating through communities and social media. “We want the Ebola taskforce to widen its network of informers. Let them bring in cultural and religious leaders because its largely the people in the security and health department who hold these meetings and they don’t deal with the congregation,” he stressed.

He said, prevention of the diseases is very easy if the standard operating procedures are followed.

Mr Mathew Vuyaya Vuni, the Yumbe Deputy Resident District Commissioner said, it’s about the eighth time Ebola has broken out in the country but the Ugandans have been very meticulous with these kinds of diseases.

“We were able to contain this disease for the seventh time now.  I am sure with your commitment; we shall be able to contain this one also relatively easily,” he said. Adding that it calls for commitment from all the stakeholders to ensure that they work hard and in a coordinated manner to fight the disease off.

“Our border with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is officially closed so, therefore, we don’t entertain up and down movement. If people sneak either during the day or at night, we need to be vigilant to make sure such people are identified and put to a strain so that they don’t bring in the Ebola disease into the country,” he added.

As life returns to normal in Yumbe, the episode remains a reminder of the importance of preparedness in protecting communities from infectious diseases.

For now, Yumbe can breathe easy—but the district remains alert, knowing that preparedness is the strongest defence against future public health threats.