Jane Ruth Aceng, the Minister of Health, has called on lawmakers to reinforce the Ministry of Health’s efforts by spreading Mpox prevention messages within their respective communities.
According to Minister Aceng, legislators can help curb the spread of Mpox by educating the public on key preventive measures, such as avoiding physical contact with individuals displaying symptoms, not sharing personal items like clothing or bedding with infected persons, and maintaining proper hand hygiene by washing with soap and water or using alcohol-based sanitizers after contact with suspected cases.
“Contacts and frontline workers should also be encouraged to get vaccinated when the vaccine becomes available,” Minister Aceng added.
The Minister made these remarks on Thursday while updating Parliament on the status of Mpox in Uganda.
Since the beginning of the year, over 17,000 Mpox cases and more than 500 deaths have been reported across 13 African countries, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has recorded the highest number of cases, with more than 14,000 infections, accounting for 96% of confirmed cases this month. Other East African countries that have reported Mpox transmission include Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda, with Burundi experiencing secondary transmission.
Mpox can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals. Among humans, it spreads through direct contact with infected persons, sexual intercourse (with high transmission rates among commercial sex workers, men who have sex with men, and truck drivers), and contaminated surfaces. Crowded environments, such as schools and prisons, also increase the risk of rapid transmission if a case is confirmed.
Although Mpox is generally self-limiting, the disease can be fatal, particularly in children under five, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems, such as those living with HIV/AIDS. Without robust interventions, the disease could spread rapidly, overwhelming health systems, as has been seen elsewhere.
Severe cases can lead to disfiguring facial and body lesions, particularly among immunocompromised individuals, significantly affecting their long-term quality of life. In some cases, patients have reported complications affecting their eyes, including permanent blindness.
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