President Museveni is on Wednesday expected to address the nation following the outbreak of Ebola in the country and the ongoing country standoff with the European Union Parliament about the oil pipeline.
A statement from the Presidential Press Unit (PPU) confirmed that the address will take place on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 starting at 8.00pm and will be live on TV.
“(Rtd) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will address the nation on the outbreak of Ebola and other important national issues this Wednesday, September 28, 2022 starting at 8.00pm. The national address will be live on all radio and TV stations,” the statement reads in part.
“Accordingly, the Uganda Communications Commissions is hereby called upon to communicate to all the media houses across the country to air this address,” it adds.
This comes as the Ministry of Health reported that the number of Ebola-related deaths have risen to 23.
Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the senior communications officer, said the latest situation report [as of Monday, Sept. 26, 2022] indicates that the country has cumulative 36 cases of Ebola, of which 18 are confirmed and the other 18 are probable.
‘The deaths stand at 23, five confirmed and 18 probable; in the last 24 hours, we registered two new cases and two more deaths, he said.
Mr Ainebyoona said that the positive case of a woman who is part of the earlier affected community, while the others tested negative, adding that it was due to “fear”.
At least four people who presented with signs and symptoms of Ebola last week escaped from health workers in Madudu Sub-county, Mubende District, who had gone to evacuate them from the community.
District officials led by the Resident District Commissioner, Ms Rosemary Byabashaija, revealed that the escapees were contacts of the 24-year-old man who passed on at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital on September 20.
Ms Byabashaija said: “The four people had signs but decided to run away and the other two refused to be brought to the hospital.”
But Mr Ainebyoona said they are working on counseling the affected and also ensuring that they have all the necessary security measures to ensure that there are no escapes from the treatment units.
“So there’s no need for alarm as the situation is under control at Mubende regional referral hospital,” Mr Ainebyoona assured Ugandans.
Mr Ainebyoona said the ministry has several measures that are being put in place, which the minister [of Health] will be communicating.
He, however, said some of the measures are inclined to vaccines, albeit after a meeting with World Health Organisation[WHO] and other partners.
