Since last year, Uganda has faced deadly outbreaks of Ebola and Mpox. The Mpox outbreak was identified in July 2024, while the Ebola virus was detected in January 2025. The Ministry of Health successfully contained the Ebola outbreak, reporting only two deaths. Individuals who had been in contact with the deceased were isolated, treated, and fully recovered before being discharged from health facilities. The Ministry of Health is doing a commendable job with sensitization, but the structures at the community level need strengthening.
Since the proposal to introduce community health workers (CHEWs), there has been uncertainty about Village Health Teams (VHTs), who have been a mainstay of community health outreaches over the years. CHEWs are, in principle, a welcome introduction, given that they will be remunerated and more professional.
Water, hygiene, and health committees at the village and parish levels have not been facilitated, and their existence is in the name; yet, they are meant to implement the interventions and decisions of the Ministry of Health through District Health Teams.
These structures, including health unit management committees (HUMCs), need to be strengthened and functionalized to strengthen community-level preparedness and response to disease outbreaks.
Uganda is prone to outbreaks of infectious diseases. The Mpox virus remains a threat to Ugandans, especially in communities and districts of Uganda such as Kampala, Wakiso, Nakasongola, Mbarara, Mukono, Masaka Luwero, Hoima, Mayuge and Buvuma districts. It affects populations like sex workers, and fishing communities with the highest population affected being the male gender.
The Mpox signs and symptoms are a rash that starts as flat spots, evolves into blisters, and then crusts over, along with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes. The number of cases in Uganda has continually increased with 4,477 confirmed cases and 31 deaths confirmed by the Ministry of Health.
Some of the challenges faced during this outbreak according to The World Health Organisation (WHO) are uncertainties related to the pause in financial support from the United States of America (USAID)) where one-third of the funds supporting the response to Mpox had been pledged by the United States. Without sufficient funds, the ability of Uganda, WHO, and partners to maintain, sustain, and expand the response to mpox would be compromised.
The Ministry of Health urges the public to take preventive actions seriously: avoid physical contact with symptomatic individuals, refrain from sharing personal items, wash hands regularly, and seek medical help for symptoms like rashes or fever.
The Ministry of Health is doing a commendable job in responding to emerging outbreaks, but to make Uganda’s epidemic and pandemic preparedness more sustainable, all stakeholders need to be facilitated to play their roles – including stakeholders at the community level, where disease outbreaks take place. Strengthening community engagement and coordination, such as collaboration with the Ministry of Health, together with civil society organizations, must take center stage.
