No cholera outbreak in Bundibugyo - Red Cross

By Raymond Baguma

Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has said there is no cholera outbreak in Bundibugyo following the influx of Congolese refugees in the country recently.

“URCS and partners continue with active surveillance for outbreaks and what is there is that some children developed diarrhea which has been investigated and is negative for vibrio cholera,” Catherine Ntabadde, URCS’s head of communication said.

Ntabadde said that Uganda Red Cross had confirmed with World Health Organisation and the other teams working in Bundibugyo to respond to the influx.

She also said that the temporary transit camp which has been established at Bubukwanga, 5km from Bundibugyo town, is up and running and is housing a total of 9,607 refugees so far.

About 30,000 refugees, many of whom had returned to DR Congo, re-entered Uganda and are presently camped at Butogo Primary School located near the border.

“Many people still remain at the border and the process of transferring them to the transit center is still continuing,” she added.

Red Cross is supporting with refugee reception and registration, tracing and support to unaccompanied minors, constructing shelters, latrines, hot meals for arriving refugees, management of the transit center, hygiene sensitization and disease surveillance.

Bundibugyo district referral hospital recently said they had set up an isolation centre to handle emergencies in the event of a cholera outbreak.

Edmond Maisaba, the hospital administrator warned that a cholera outbreak was likely because of poor hygiene and open disposal of human waste by the refugees in the primary schools where they pitched camp.

Fighting broke out early last week after a group of gunmen believed to be rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) group raided the town of Kamango, forcing over 65,000 people to flee to neighbouring Uganda.