The health authorities in Kampala confirmed that a patient has died, a nurse who had sought treatment in other medical facilities after developing fever symptoms.
In response to the outbreak of often mortal and infectious hemorrhagic fever that is transmitted through contact with fluids and body tissues, which is mobilizing the efforts to support the national health authorities by containing and ending the outbreak.
Senior public health experts are being deployed and personnel from the Country Country office to support the key outbreak measures.
In addition, who has assigned $ 1 million of its emergency contingency fund to accelerate early action. Medical supplies, including personal protective equipment, are preparing for the delivery of the WHO emergency response center in Nairobi.
Race to develop a vaccine
Although there are no license vaccines for Sudan virus disease, which coordinates with developers to display candidate vaccines once all necessary approvals are obtained.
Regarding the deceased man, no other health worker or patients has shown symptoms, said who.
A total of 45 contacts, including health workers and family members, are under narrow monitoring. The identification of the case in a densely populated urban area requires a quick and intense response, the agency emphasized.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, regional director of Africa, welcomed the prompt declaration of outbreak saying that the agency was supporting the government and the partners “to expand the measures to quickly identify the cases, isolate and provide attention, stop the propagation of the virus and protect the population of the population.
“Uganda’s solid experience in responding to public health emergencies will be crucial to end this outbreak effectively.”
There have been eight previous outbreaks of ebola virus disease of Sudan, with five in Uganda and three in Sudan. Uganda last reported an outbreak in 2022.
The UN Rights Chief launches a global appeal of $ 500 million
The UN Human Rights Chief on Thursday launched a financing appeal of $ 500 million by 2025 to address a multitude of crises that threaten to reverse decades of progress.
The appeal aims to support the critical efforts of human rights, including the transmission of rights, advice services and technical cooperation, together with the Field Offices of the UN Human Rights Office, OHCHR.
Special trust funds will also increase, such as those that support victims of torture, indigenous peoples or those affected by slavery.
The launch of the appeal in Geneva, the head of UN Rights, Volker Türk, reiterated the importance of these efforts: “During conflicts and in times of peace; in developing countries and advanced economies; From historical complaints to emerging risks: my office is maintaining the line of humanity.
Low cost, high impact
“Human rights are a low and high impact investment to mobilize people for peace, safety and sustainable development; and to develop social cohesion based on the contributions of each individual, ”he added.
The appeal is added to the regular OHCHR budget of $ 238.5 million as part of the UN General Budget that was approved at the end of December 2024. That amount is not enough to cover all its mandatory work and the requests for assistance it receives.
Mr. Türk stressed the need to ensure that OHCHR has enough resources to carry out his vital work.
“I am very concerned that if we do not achieve our financing objectives in 2025, people who should otherwise be free can remain in prison,” he said.
“Women and girls can lose opportunities, ignored by the world. Violations and abuses can be undocumented, which leads to a lack of responsibility and greater impunity. And human rights defenders can lose the small protection they have, ”he warned.
Independent rights experts urge Thailand to put an end to the prosecutions of Lèse-Majesté
A group of independent experts in the UN human rights condemned the continuous use of Thailand of the laws of Lèse-Majesté to imprison activists and human rights defenders, asking for repeal or a significant review of the Criminal Code of the country.
In a press release on Thursday, experts, who are mandatory and appointed by the Human Rights Council based in Geneva, warned that article 112 of the Thailand Criminal Code, which punishes criticism of the monarchy with up to 15 years in Prison, Human International Human Viola Standards of Rights.
Rules of freedom of expression
“According to international law, people have the right to criticize public officials, including a king, and peacefully advocate the reform of any public institution, including the monarchy,” experts said.
They described the law as “hard and vague”, emphasizing that it grants excessive discretion to the authorities and courts, which leads to a generalized misuse.
Since 2020, more than 270 people have been prosecuted under article 112, many receive long consecutive sentences.
“The laws of Lèse-Majesté do not take place in a democratic country,” experts said, warning that their use suffocates political expression and activists, journalists and opposition members.
They urged the Thai government to amend the Criminal Code of the country to align with the international human rights laws and requested an immediate moratorium on prosecutions and imprisonments under the laws of Lèse-Majesté.
