Arua wants special Ebola response fund

ARUA - The Arua City Ebola Taskforce is seeking for more than Sh220 million to strengthen its response to the Ebola outbreak, citing critical shortages in: transport, personal protective equipment (PPEs), and welfare support for frontline health workers and suspected Ebola patients in isolation.

The appeal was made during an Ebola Task Force meeting, where health officials warned that response efforts are being hampered by funding delays and limited external support.

The Head of Case Management at Oli Health Centre IV, Martin Oyoku, revealed that response teams have been operating for nearly three weeks without dedicated funding.

Responding to the concerns, Alfred Driwale, the Commissioner of Health Services for Institutional and Human Resources Development at the Ministry of Health, acknowledged the funding challenges but urged local governments to maximise available resources as the ministry mobilises additional support.

The task force also highlighted several operational gaps, including inadequate PPEs for surveillance teams, limited diagnostic and sample collection materials, and lack of transport to investigate alerts.

Officials further expressed concern over limited coordination with counterparts across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite the city's proximity to the international boundary.