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The Ministry of Health says it has extended its preparedness to Nimule-Elegu border point following outbreaks of mpox in neighboring countries.

According to the Director General for Emergency Response Dr. Kediende Chong, the Ministry is improving isolation units at the border point and capacitating Nimule hospital laboratory.

He said this will enhance and activate surveillance at the entry point between South Sudan and Uganda.

“We actually went to Nimule for cross border coordination meeting with our counterpart from Uganda and at the same time to carry out an assessment on our isolation units, and also to assess the surveillance that is being enhance at Nimule point of entry point, and the capacity of the laboratory of Nimule hospital.

“And also to engage stakeholders in preparedness and readiness for the mpox outbreak which is engulfing us from four neighboring countries that is Uganda, Kenya, DRC and Central Africa Republic and putting us on high alert

Chong said the ministry will soon establish health emergency operation centers on high alert mode and engage stakeholders to hold preparedness at the border.

Dr. Chong revealed that, despite the development, the preparedness is being hit by insufficient available resources to fully run the centers.

“So, already we have triggered our preparedness and readiness plan by putting our established health emergency operation centers on high alert mode,” he added.

According to the Ugandan Focal Person for Global Health Security Issues Mr. Emmanuel Tunga, Uganda has confirmed two cases of Mpox.

Tunga spoke to Eye Radio on Thursday from Nimule while attending cross-border Health Coordination meeting between the two Countries.

“The collaboration is actually very strong as we do a lot of information sharing, advise each other on disease issues as they come up, and disease prevention control is one of the strong elements that’s why we are here actually to support each other.

“The fact is that Mpox is real and it is highly infectious. So far in Uganda we have had two cases and they are all imported from DR Congo.

“I urge the people of South Sudan to be vigilant, take precaution, wash hand, avoid contacts because the World health Organization had declared this a public health emergency of concern.”

On 24 July 2024, the Uganda Virus Research Institute confirmed two cases of Mpox from six samples received from Bwera Hospital in Kasese District. No new cases that have been reported across the country.

In a statement to lawmakers on Friday,  Members of Parliament , Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, assured Ugandans that the outbreak of monkeypox (Mpox) in the country was under control and being managed efficiently by her ministry.

“An emergency response mechanism, the Incident Management System, consistent to what was used to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Ebola epidemic response has been activitaed,” she was quoted as saying.

South Sudan still remains free of the outbreak following several suspected samples ruled out in recent days.

The Monkeypox outbreak have reached Uganda, Kenya and Central Africa republic after it was first reported in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mpox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and other animals.

Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. The illness is usually mild, and most of infected individuals recover within a few weeks without treatment