Ugandan troops in DR Congo to be immunised against Ebola virus

In a statement, the UPDF revealed that its medical department in tandem with Uganda’s ministry of health and the World Health Organization will, starting on Aug. 19, vaccinate all its troops in the DRC and those stationed along the common border with the DRC.

Ambrose Musinguzi, Chief of Medical Services, said the troops in eastern DRC are exposed to Ebola and so must be vaccinated as a preventive measure, adding that that the vaccine is effective.

“The vaccine to be applied which is from Merck is 100 percent effective. We have used it before in Uganda not only to health workers but also in districts of Kasese and Bundibugyo and in some units of UPDF (Uganda People’s Defense Force),” said Musinguzi.

Henry Kyobe Bbosa, the UPDF Epidemiologist, said the army medical personnel have been trained as Ebola Rapid Response Team and Vaccinators to stave off the virus.

“We have conducted TOT (Training of Trainers) workshop of 30 experts in different areas who are going to train other medical workers in the field who will in turn be conducting case findings, managing alerts and carry out vaccination. We are also to deploy three mobile laboratories to be able to manage any signal case,” Bbosa said.

He added that any medical measures against Ebola outbreaks requires an effective rapid response team able to nip the virus in the bud before it becomes an epidemic.

Uganda and DRC in November last year launched military operations jointly with Congolese troops against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a terrorist rebel group ensconced in the jungles of eastern DRC.