The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has donated transport Logistics to the Ministry of Health to boost Ebola response especially in the refugee hosting districts that are prone to the outbreak of the disease.
The ambulances and the motorcycles are to support the Ministry of Health in Implementing the recently Launched Integrated Health Sector Refugee Response plan of which one of its pillars of the plan includes strengthening the districts capacity to detect and respond to Ebola out brakes.
Receiving the Three ambulances, 31 motorcycles and thermo–scanners at the Ministry of Health head offices in Kampala on August 22, Health Minister Dr Ruth Jane Aceng commended the UN refugee agency for supporting Uganda with the equipment which she said will help the Ministry to improve the monitoring of the Ebola outbreaks especially in those district that are prone to the diseases.
“I wish to extend our appreciation to the UK (DFID) for funding UNHCR to support us with the ambulances, motorcycles and the UN central Emergency Relief Fund for the thermal scanner. The donation will improve case management by transportation of the alert cases from the point of identification to the isolation centres,” she explained.
The minister noted that viral diseases like Ebola needs emergency attention but this can be done if there is enough logistic to transport both the patients and the technical team (health personnel)
Handing over the equipment, the UNHR Country Representative in Uganda Joël Boutroue said the donation is part of the agency’s efforts to strengthen refugee-hosting districts health systems to be better prepared for any possible disease outbreak especially those that are viral in nature Ebola.
The donated motor cycles will be used to improve integrated disease surveillance and response in the refugee-hosting districts of Yumbe, Arua, Adjumani, Moyo, Lamwo, among other districts.
The thermo scanner will be deployed at the point of entry with highest refugee influx as stipulated in the National Ebola preparedness and response plan to improve surveillance by the medical team.
Uganda hosts about 1.3 million refugees that require international protection. Currently, Uganda is the leading African state in hosting refuges.
