Ebola: Health ministry allays fears among public

MOH | EBOLA | MTN MARATHON

The Ministry of Health has encouraged the public to interact freely with MTN Kampala marathon runners without fear because they are Ebola-free.

This follows various media posts highlighting that the MTN 2022 Marathon held in Kampala on Sunday is an "Ebola super spreader event"

In a statement released on November 21, 2022, the health ministry informed the general public that, following consultations with the technical officers, they cleared and authorized the MTN 2022 marathon after assessing that the event posed no risk of Ebola transmission among the participants.

The Ministry stated that, unlike COVID-19, the risk of Ebola virus disease transmission and spread is highest when people are symptomatic.

"With the screening measures in place at the MTN Kampala Marathon, no participant presented any other symptom." Furthermore, symptomatic Ebola virus disease patients can barely engage in rigorous activities like running and aerobics," the statement reads in part.

The health ministry says the Kampala metropolitan area has not registered cases beyond those that were under quarantine, having been contacted by confirmed cases recorded in Kampala.

"It is important to note that isolating contacts early before they manifest the disease ably curbs the transmission." "This has worked well for Kampala along with other measures like active surveillance," the ministry said.

The ministry also said the movement is restricted in the epicenter districts of Mubende and Kassanda to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus disease to other parts of the country.