The ministry of health has blamed the sharp rise of Mpox cases on Commercial sex workers.
Dr Henry Kyobe, the Mpox incident commander at the ministry of health noted that the disease which has become an established public threat noted that they registered higher rates which they believe are linked to the festive Season where there were a lot of social activities.
“What is spreading this disease rapidly is people who get exposed through commercial sex activities Who also spread to others as the circle continues,” he said.
The incident commander however proposed that the only way to reduce the spread is to limit commercial sex activities in the country.
“The major thing is that if we are able to stop commercial sex workers activities, then we can reduce the spread of infections,” Kyobe said.
He further noted that they are engaging with the commercial sex workers arguing them to stop as a remedy to disrupt the spread of the infection.
The minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng had earlier warned the public against relying on condoms noting that they don’t provide sufficient protection.
According to the new report from the Mpox response team, the total number of Mpox cases rose from 925 on December 8 2024, to 15721, as of January 6 2025, representing a 70 percent increase.
The surge in viral disease infections, first confirmed in Uganda last year, July, has evolved in a rise in deaths from six to ten during this period. Wakiso recorded the highest number of new cases (17), while Kampala and Lira each reported one case, According to the report.
Overall, within 166 days since the ministry of health declared the outbreak in the country, Kampala Metropolitan Area has been the hardest hit among the 71 affected districts, accounting for 1,095 cases over 60% of the country’s total infections. Further the report indicated that Kampala recorded 808 cases and one death, followed by Wakiso with 246 cases, and Mukono with 41 cases. Out of Kampala Metropolitan Area, Nakasongola District recorded the highest number of cases (77), followed by Mbarara City (44) and Hoima City (13).
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