UNBS warns public against fake face masks

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has warned the public against using substandard masks, which are currently on sale on streets across major towns and urban centres in the country.

According to the standards regulator, it is imperative for the public to use the right quality masks as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, whose infections have recently reached the 2,000 mark.

The deputy executive director of management and finance, Patricia Bageine Ejalu, said the regulator has already availed standards that must be followed in the making of the masks to prevent the public from contracting the virus.

"The masks must be certified and properly labelled, and they must not be made from flammable material. They, however, can be either single or multi-layered," Ejalu said.

She warned those who buy face masks displayed on streets that they could get the virus. Ejalu's remarks follow complaints from the Government that some contracted manufacturers were producing substandard masks, thus putting the lives of innocent Ugandans at risk.

Recently, the information and national guidance minister Judith Nabakoba, said the Government had received complaints that some of the masks from the manufacturers that are being distributed do not meet the health ministry's guidelines.

She said manufacturers who would be found guilty of flouting the health ministry's guidelines would be prosecuted and their contracts terminated.

As part of an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, President Yoweri Museveni instructed the health ministry to avail free face masks to all Ugandans above the age of six.

The distribution started in July with the border and high-risk districts, including Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso.

More than 13 million masks have been distributed so far. Speaking to more than 100 local face masks manufacturers during a webinar, Ejalu said the regulator is still following up on all masks on the market to see if they still meet the required standards.

"The certification process is not a one-time event. It is done for as long as you are still in business. We do surveillance audits, where we come without notice to see if certified manufacturers are still meeting the standards.

"It does not make sense for someone to innocently put on a mask that has been purportedly certified by UNBS, but cannot protect them from acquiring the virus," she said.

Ejalu said so far, 23 manufacturers have been certified, with more expected to come on board to bridge the growing gap.

The UNBS quality analysts, John Sanyu, said the recommended face mask must have at least two layers to prevent the virus from spilling in to infect the wearer or those around them.

He said the masks must be packaged in suitable packaging materials to protect the product from any contamination and mechanical damage during transportation, handling, and storage.