By Bida Elly David
South Sudanese living at the South Sudan border town of Nimule annexing Uganda to South Sudan are living in fear as Ebola mortality rate hiked to 12 this week leaving others unconscious in the sick bed at Mubende district of Uganda.
This development came following pronouncement of the latest mortality rate by the national ministry of health in Uganda.
Last week, Dr. Joseph Lasu, the director for emergency preparedness and response at the National Ministry of health said that reports from the Uganda ministry of health indicated detection of Ebola virus after a 24 year old man in Mududu County of Mubende district was confirmed to have died of Ebola disease symptoms after a laboratory anaylsis showed the Sudan strain Ebola type.
He said South Sudan would be at risk due to its proximity with her neighboring countries Uganda and DR Congo as well as suggested quick response and border management to ensure absolute mitigation.
The undersecretary of the national Ministry of health last week reiterated activation of incident management system to detect and examine citizens over the endemic disease and declared immediate deployment of response team to towns bordering Uganda for emergency control.
Speaking to No.1.Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday, John Dravuga a youth representative at Nimule town said that citizens were in serious panic complaining of the closest distance between South Sudan and Uganda from Nimule town.
He said the citizens have suggested restriction on Ugandans upon entry into South Sudan territory for their safety or examination measures should be prioritized before entry into the Country for precautionary measures.
“We have heard today that 12 people died of Ebola in one of the districts in Uganda. Now we are leaving in fear as the borders mix up Ugandans and South Sudanese who are involved in trading activities with one another. We may not know the status of each person at that level,” Dravuga said.
He further said that the Northern part of Uganda especially Gulu would be the scope of transmitting the virus to the Country as many will be travelling for various purposes into the Country.
He underscored that government through the national ministry of health should immediately introduce a monitoring mechanism to detect the victims with the virus.
Meanwhile, Victoria Anib, the undersecretary of the Ministry of health said that emergency response team has already been deployed to towns bordering South Sudan-Uganda and Congo South Sudan to create awareness to the people about the virus.
She added that, the budget for the Ebola Virus disease (EVD) has been approved by the government to facilitate the mitigation process of the disease at the border.