Adjumani on high alert following Cholera and Mpox cases

Adjumani | The Adjumani District Health Department has confirmed three cases of Cholera and two cases of Mpox in recent months, raising fears of disease outbreaks among refugees and local communities.

The latest Cholera case was confirmed on November 25, 2024, and Mpox cases have been monitored since October.

Cholera

District Surveillance Officer Paul Olony stated that the first Cholera case was confirmed on November 18, 2024, with subsequent testing revealing a 50% positivity rate among suspected cases.

“We are screening asylum seekers at the Elegu border reception center, Nyumanzi refugee settlement, and high-volume health facilities. The Central Public Health Laboratory confirmed the cholera cases,” Olony explained.

Health officials are concerned about the overcrowding at the Nyumanzi reception center, which currently houses 1,400 people despite having a capacity for only 750.

Mpox on the rise

Since October, Adjumani has reported 54 suspected cases of Mpox, with two confirmed positives. To contain the outbreak, health officials are conducting extensive surveillance and screening efforts.

Preparedness

Adjumani Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Peter Taban Data emphasized the district’s dedication to preventing the spread of these diseases.

“We have stationed a dedicated team at border points to screen new arrivals. Suspected cases are quarantined, and samples are tested in Kampala. If confirmed, patients are transferred to treatment centers,” Data said.

In addition, psychosocial support teams and health educators have been deployed to raise public awareness of Cholera and Mpox.

District Health Officer (DHO) Dominic Drametu assured the public that the situation was under control.

“These are not local infections. All cases are from outside Uganda, and with support from the Ministry of Health, we have successfully managed all confirmed cases,” Drametu stated.

Adjumani’s proximity to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) makes it especially susceptible to cross-border infections.

The South Sudan Ministry of Health declared a cholera outbreak in Upper Nile State’s Renk County on October 28, 2024, after six confirmed cases were reported.

The Adjumani District Health Department, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and international partners, continues to increase screening at border crossings and refugee settlements, improve health education campaigns to raise disease prevention awareness, and ensure proper management and treatment of confirmed cases.

Despite the difficulties of managing disease outbreaks in refugee-populated areas, health officials are confident in their ability to prevent widespread transmission.