New peer-reviewed analysis examines Uganda’s preparedness and response efforts for Ebola

May 11, 2022 – A new analysis conducted by scientists from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and colleagues and published today in PLOS Global Public Health analyzes Uganda’s Ebola preparedness capacities related to response efforts in 2019.

In 2019, Uganda faced 2 importation events related to the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in bordering Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The study describes preparedness activities and capacities that may have enabled Uganda to identify and isolate infected individuals or otherwise prevent further transmission. The study also presents a new conceptual framework to help evaluate the effectiveness of preparedness activities and capacities.

The study, “Retrospective identification of key activities in Uganda’s preparedness measures related to the 2018-2020 EVD outbreak in eastern DRC utilizing a framework evaluation tool,” was conducted by researchers at the Center for Health Security, Makerere University School of Public Health (Uganda), and the Uganda National Institute of Public Health.

Key findings include:

• Preparedness activities related to coordination, health facility preparation, case referral and management, laboratory testing and specimen transport, logistics and resource mobilization, and safe and dignified burials yielded consistent success across importation events.
• Preparedness activities related to surveillance, community engagement and risk communication, vaccination, and refugee-related measures may have contributed to successful importation responses, but there is a less clear relationship between those activities and prevention of transmission.
• Point of entry screening yielded mixed results with success during the second importation event but not during the first importation event.
• Countries responding to similar importation events in the future should consider use of the framework evaluation tool to further validate use of the tool and determine if areas of preparedness that are positive contributors to response activities are consistent or differ by event or national context.

Read the study here.