WHO Chief Dr Tedros says Community Engagement Key in Containing Ebola

The Head of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has allayed concerns of the growing number of Ebola Virus Disease cases in the urban centers of Uganda.

Dr Tedros said the progress in containing Ebola in the original epicenter in Uganda is welcome but rising cases in new geographical areas including urban centers are a concern.

He noted that the Ebola control in urban areas can be complex and requires coordinated and sustained efforts to interrupt transmission.

“Ministry of Health Uganda continues to ramp up the response. WHO and partners are supporting the scale up of contact tracing, delivering early care and community engagement,” he said.

He added that they stand ready to deploy more experts to strengthen all aspects of the Ebola response in Uganda, saying community engagement is essential to controlling the Ebola outbreak in Uganda including their ownership and cooperation in accessing timely care and treatment, contact tracing, safe burials and in vaccine trials.

“An Ebola response is a complex operation that requires all stakeholders to work openly together and to stay vigilant. By working in solidarity and following the ministry of Health guidelines, we can end this outbreak.”

He also welcomed the Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng’s announcement on trials of vaccine candidates which may be effective against this Ebola virus.
“Involvement of Uganda’s researchers in these trials is key to building capacities for safe and effective vaccinations,” he said.

Speaking to Journalists early this week, Dr Aceng said the ministry will be evaluating the efficacy of three candidate Ebola Sudan vaccines on contacts in the coming weeks.

She revealed that the candidate vaccines are; Oxford from the United Kingdom, Sabin from the USA and Merck from the USA.