Ugandan peacekeepers in Somalia have been urged to step up efforts in fighting against the spread of the deadly Ebola virus into the war-torn state.
The highly infectious deadly disease has claimed more than 4,500 lives in West Africa so far, and countries like Somalia worries that cross-border travel may bring the disease there too.
Speaking to the troops fighting against al-Shabaab extremists in Southern Somalia during his rare visit, Brig. Muhoozi Kainerugaba the Commander of UPDF Special forces said aside their main duties, the troops should also ‘’guard’’ the deadly virus from entering the country.
‘’You must also guard against dangerous diseases such as Marbug and Ebola,” he was quoted in a report published by the Ugandan newspaper Newvision.
The three worst hit countries; Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, are still struggling to contain the disease. The United States of America, Germany and Spain have also recorded some cases of the disease.
Last week, a battalion of 800 Sierra Leone Peacekeepers waiting to be deployed to Somalia were quarantined after one of the soldiers tested Ebola Positive.
Authorities in Somalia are on high alert and precautions are being taken to prevent the deadly Ebola virus from entering the country.
Ravaged by civil war for more than two decades, it is unsurprising that Somalia has one of the worst health-worker shortages in Africa. A poor road network and limited number of health facilities compounds the lack of access to healthcare.
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