KAMPALA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday called for stronger regional cooperation to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
Coordinated cross-border efforts are essential to preventing the disease from spreading across East and Central Africa, Museveni said during a meeting with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at State House Entebbe, about 40 km south of Uganda's capital, Kampala.
According to a statement issued by the presidency, Museveni reaffirmed Uganda's commitment and readiness to contain the outbreak, noting that the country has put in place robust surveillance and response measures while working closely with neighboring countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The president said he had held discussions with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on strengthening bilateral cooperation to curb the cross-border transmission of Ebola.
"We have been engaging our counterparts in the DRC to ensure that we work together in addressing this challenge," Museveni said.
Tedros commended Uganda's response to the outbreak and praised the government's decision to suspend this year's Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations, an annual event that attracts millions of pilgrims, saying the move was a responsible public health measure to prevent a potential super-spreader event.
The WHO chief also pledged continued support through funding, logistics, technical expertise and personnel, while urging regional leaders to strengthen coordinated efforts to combat the outbreak.
According to Uganda's Ministry of Health, the country has so far recorded 19 confirmed Ebola cases, including 14 individuals who entered Uganda from the DRC. No new cases have been reported in the past three days.
