Uganda has recorded one death linked to the Bundibugyo strain. The Ministry of Health has now issued mandatory SOPs for all learning institutions — and campus students need to know what has changed.
Uganda’s health ministry has issued new Ebola Standard Operating Procedures for all schools and institutions of higher learning ahead of their reopening for Term Two, following the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo — a strain that has now recorded over 500 suspected infections and more than 130 deaths across the border.
Uganda has recorded one death — involving two individuals who travelled from the DRC. The government is not waiting for the numbers to grow before acting.
“Please, do not handle any suspected case yourself; we have no plan to close any institution because Ebola is not like COVID. Please, report any case; do not keep them or hide for fear of closure,” Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr. Diana Atwine told New Vision.
The new directives apply to every learning institution in the country, which the ministry describes as high-risk environments due to the close physical interaction among learners and staff.
Handwashing facilities must be made available at school entrances, classrooms, dormitories, dining areas, toilets, and staff rooms — with clean running water and soap. Handwashing must be enforced for all learners, staff, and visitors upon entry and at regular intervals.
Temperature screening points must be established at all school entrances. Any participant with a temperature above 38 degrees must be isolated for further investigation.
Regular cleaning and disinfection is mandatory for classrooms, dormitories, toilets and bathrooms, dining halls, school vehicles, and all frequently touched surfaces.
Entry restrictions apply for any person presenting symptoms suggestive of Ebola Virus Disease — fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, bleeding, chest pain, or unexplained weakness.
Classrooms and dormitories must remain well-ventilated throughout the outbreak period by keeping windows and doors open where possible.
Proper waste management and disposal systems must be in place at all institutions.
Discouraged at all institutions: handshakes, hugging, and sharing of personal items.
The ministry has also issued strict guidelines for events — religious gatherings, football matches, weddings, political rallies, crusades, and funerals during the outbreak period.
Organisers of mass gatherings must notify health authorities before holding events and allow health inspections and risk assessments at venues. Every gathering site must now have handwashing facilities, temperature screening points, waste management systems, isolation rooms, and emergency evacuation arrangements for suspected Ebola patients. Large gatherings may also be postponed or restricted if the ministry advises, depending on the outbreak situation.
Churches and mosques have been directed to provide handwashing facilities at entry points, display Ebola prevention messages, and isolate any worshipper who develops symptoms during services. Physical greetings and close-contact prayer practices have been suspended.
Taxi parks, buses, bodabodas, ferries, and markets have been placed under enhanced Ebola prevention measures. Transport operators must regularly disinfect vehicles, provide hand sanitisers, and avoid transporting visibly sick passengers. Markets have been advised to install screening points and improve hygiene standards.
The ministry has also warned the public against touching sick persons or handling bodies suspected to have died from Ebola without trained burial teams.
Uganda Prisons Service has also rolled out strict containment measures across all facilities nationwide, with heightened surveillance focusing on prisons along the Uganda-DRC border and high-mobility urban facilities including Kampala Extra. All new inmates arriving from Ebola-affected zones will undergo enhanced health monitoring.
Kanungu — one of Uganda’s most vulnerable districts because of its porous border with eastern DRC — has had its Ishasha and Kyeshero border posts closed by district authorities. Surveillance and screening operations have been intensified across border communities, with rapid response teams deployed.
Kanungu Resident District Commissioner Ambrose Mwesigye said security and health authorities have restricted movement through porous crossing points to prevent the deadly virus from entering local communities.
Three suspected Ebola patients isolated at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital — from the districts of Kikuube, Hoima, and Masindi — have tested negative. Blood samples were taken to the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe. The three patients who were seriously ill are still in isolation as the facility awaits more tests within the next 72 hours.
Dr. Atwine urged Ugandans to remain calm but vigilant. “The country has experience from previous outbreaks, which we have always managed to contain and address in the shortest time possible. This time as well, we are confident that we shall overcome it,” she said.
If you are on campus or returning to campus for Term Two, the rules above apply to your institution right now. Report any suspected symptoms — fever, vomiting, bleeding, diarrhoea, or unexplained weakness — immediately to your institution’s health unit or call the Ministry of Health response line.
Do not handle suspected cases yourself. Do not hide symptoms. Every district has an outbreak response unit headed by the Resident District Commissioner.
Stay alert. Stay clean. Keep your windows open.
