Back to the News 2007 page.NEW VISION, Kampala, Uganda, Tuesday, 18 December 2007.
Anne Mugisa
Kampala
THE Ministry of Health has asked the
people of Bundibugyo and Kasese to suspend their
circumcision ceremonies due this festive season until
the Ebola epidemic is contained.
The commissioner for health services, Dr. Sam Okware,
told journalists yesterday that the ministry is holding
discussions with the communities to suspend the
practice, adding that the district authorities should
make by-laws to suspend circumcision.
Circumcision among the Bamba and Bakonjo was in the
past conducted every five years but recently, the
practice has been taking place between the end and the
beginning of the year.
The health state minister, Dr. Emmanuel Otaala, said
another suspected case of Ebola had been reported in
Congo on the Bundibugyo border.
The patient had clinical signs of Ebola and the
ministry had asked its personnel to cooperate and treat
the case, he said.
"Since this case is at the border with us, it is a
threat to us and, therefore, needs to be handled."
Otaala said Uganda is part of a Great Lakes initiative,
where districts on the borders cooperate to deal with
an emergency.
In Bundibugyo, the minister said, health workers had
managed to break the transmission chain of Ebola
through surveillance and tracing over 400 contacts of
victims.
The cases are all in Bundibugyo in the sub-counties of
Kasitu, Bubukwanga, Busaru, Bundibugyo trading centre
and Harugale, he said, adding that the disease is "on a
downward trend."
Otaala said the cumulative number of cases had risen
to 127 but the death toll remained at 35.
He added that 39 patients, including six health
workers, had recovered and were discharged. The
remaining patients, he said, are expected to be
discharged in a few weeks.
Those discharged were given a package, which included
a mattress, pair of bed-sheets, a blanket, three sets
of clothing, a mosquito net, a pair of shoes, sandals,
two plastic jerrycans, two plastic basins, three boxes
of condoms, 10 bars of soap, food rations for five
people for three months, a bottle of Jik disinfectant
and 10 packs of sanitary towels.
The Circumcision Information and Resource Pages are a not-for-profit educational resource and library. IntactiWiki hosts this website but is not responsible for the content of this site. CIRP makes documents available without charge, for informational purposes only. The contents of this site are not intended to replace the professional medical or legal advice of a licensed practitioner.
© CIRP.org 1996-2024 | Please visit our sponsor and host: IntactiWiki.