Ebola: Over 50 Dead In Uganda

New figures show the death toll has almost doubled in two weeks, causing concern from international humanitarian organisations.

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Corpse being carried away. Photo: KNews Media

The Ebola virus has killed 51 people, including six health workers in Uganda.

The toll has risen by 80 percent in two weeks, jumping from 28 on Oct 24 to 51 on Nov 6 according to figures from the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

On Tuesday Sept. 20, the Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of Sudan Ebolavirus disease following a case at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) in Mubende district and confirmed through testing at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI).

Nearly 50 days later, over 13o cases have been confirmed with the majority of those infected in Kampala, the capital city.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has expressed concern about the situation, and is calling on the international community to support prevention and response efforts, “particularly in health systems strengthening, improving contact tracing, activating community health structures for this specific response, social mobilization and intensifying sensitization through mass media.”

The first EVD case was confirmed in 1976 in two outbreaks, one in South Sudan, and the other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2014, West Africa recorded what is known as the largest Ebola outbreak since it was discovered.

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