The World Health Organization (WHO) has allocated $1 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support Uganda’s efforts in containing the outbreak of Sudan virus disease, a virus related to Ebola. This announcement came after Uganda confirmed the outbreak of the disease on Thursday.
WHO is deploying senior public health experts and mobilizing local staff to assist in the response. The organization is also preparing to send medical supplies, including personal protective equipment (PPE), from its Emergency Response Hub in Nairobi to Uganda.
While no licensed vaccines are available for Sudan virus disease, WHO is working with vaccine developers to deploy candidate vaccines once regulatory approvals are obtained. These vaccines will complement other public health measures aimed at containing the virus.
To date, one confirmed case has been reported: a nurse from Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala. Forty-five individuals, including family members and healthcare workers who had contact with the nurse (who has since passed away), are being closely monitored. The case, located in a densely populated urban area, requires an immediate and intense response.
Sudan virus disease has caused eight previous outbreaks, five of which occurred in Uganda. The most recent was in 2022. The disease is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and primates, caused by the Sudan virus, which belongs to the same family as the Ebola virus. Previous outbreaks have seen case fatality rates ranging from 41% to 100%.
There are no approved treatments or vaccines for Sudan virus, but early supportive care has been shown to reduce the death rate.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, emphasized the importance of Uganda’s strong public health response, saying, “We are supporting the government and partners to scale up measures to identify and isolate cases, provide care, prevent the virus from spreading, and protect the population.”
Dr. Kasonde Mwinga, WHO’s Representative in Uganda, also noted, “We are leveraging Uganda’s expertise and accelerating efforts to save lives and swiftly contain the outbreak.”
