Minister Opendi Dismisses Reports of Congo Fever Outbreak in Nakaseke

The Minister of State for General Duties in the Ministry of Health, Sarah Opendi has pledged to deliver a detailed statement on claims relating to a Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Nakaseke district tomorrow, Wednesday.

Opendi was responding to a matter of national importance raised by Nakaseke county South MP, Paulson Lutamaguzi Semakula that eight people in his constituency have succumbed to the tick-borne virus while 20 people have been isolated.

Lutamaguzi asked government to rise up and respond with help to the people in the isolation camp that has been created at Nakaseke referral hospital so as to save the people of Nakaseke.

However, Opendi said that all the people suspected of having the virus have been confirmed negative adding that she will give a detailed statement on the issue in Nakaseke.

“This country has got a Ministry of Health responsible for running the country’s health sector as well as declaring outbreaks once we have confirmatory tests,” Opendi told Parliament.

“We have not communicated that information and therefore it is not proper for any other person to come out and report information that is not correct, we should not alarm the population,” Opendi said.

“We had this outbreak way back in August and we did inform the country. As we speak now, all suspected cases are negative.”

The Minister later said she would return to the house with a prepared statement since the matter had come up without prior notice.

Opendi also told the House that resumed today after a two week break from the festive season, that the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is a viral disease.
Symptoms may include fever, muscle pains, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding into the skin.

Her statement comes barely a week after the Permanent Secretary in the same Ministry, Diana Atwine also dismissed reports about the Congo fever in Nakaseke.

The district chairperson for Nakaseke, Ignatius Kiwanuka Koomu had earlier criticized government for concealing the outbreak which last year claimed eight lives.