Uganda says Nigerian woman diagnosed with Ebola in Abuja travelled through the country after visiting eastern DR Congo for business
Uganda’s Ministry of Health has denied having any active confirmed cases of Ebola, insisting that a woman diagnosed with the disease in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is a Nigerian national who travelled through Uganda.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Charles Olaro, the ministry’s director-general of health services, Uganda said the woman had travelled to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for business before transiting through Uganda in early October.
The clarification comes amid concerns over the reported Ebola case in Abuja and questions about the possible route through which the infection may have reached Nigeria.
According to the ministry, the woman’s journey through Uganda did not indicate an active outbreak in the country, stressing that it had no confirmed active Ebola cases.
The statement sought to distinguish between the woman’s nationality and her travel history, maintaining that she was Nigerian and had only passed through Uganda during her trip.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal viral disease that can spread through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, as well as contaminated materials.
The reported case in Abuja places renewed attention on cross-border disease surveillance and the need for health authorities to establish the source of infections and prevent further transmission.
However, details concerning the patient’s current condition, the circumstances surrounding her diagnosis and any contact-tracing measures in Nigeria were not provided in the statement cited.
Health authorities in the affected countries are expected to play a critical role in sharing information and coordinating public health measures to contain any potential spread of the disease.
