The Cabinet has instructed government agencies to urgently head to Kanungu District in Western Uganda following the outbreak of the lethal anthrax disease, which has resulted in three fatalities and the loss of 73 cattle.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (Fisheries) informed Parliament on Tuesday, 24th September 2024, that Cabinet is fully aware of the anthrax outbreak and has already ordered the agriculture and health ministries to send a team of specialists to Kanungu.
“Yesterday, Cabinet directed the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health to quickly move to Kanungu. As of now, our team is on the ground. We are also organizing a team from headquarters to join them, and one of their first actions will be to establish a quarantine centre, as anthrax can spread to other areas of the country,” Adoa explained.
The issue was raised by Hon. James Kaberuka (NRM, Kinkizi County West), who urged the government to deploy a team to assess the severity of the health crisis.
“As we speak, the vets lack proper mobility as they do not have motorcycles, fuel, or necessary resources, and the district is struggling with limited funds. We need urgent support,” Kaberuka appealed.
The State Minister for Health (General Duties), Hon. Anifa Kawooya, confirmed that health officials are already on-site, and the ministry is awaiting their report.
“We are expecting a report, after which we will send a larger team from the ministry. Starting tomorrow [Wednesday, 25th September 2024] and continuing over the weekend, our Director for Health Services will be in Kanungu,” Kawooya noted.
Hon. Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of Information, Communications Technology, and National Guidance, emphasized the need for a collaborative ministerial effort to combat the anthrax outbreak.
“My appeal is to the Ministry of Agriculture. We need vaccines to immunize the unaffected cattle. The district has also requested additional medication to address the human cases. Both ministries must work together to ensure the government’s full presence on the ground,” Baryomunsi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kinkizi County East, remarked.
Anthrax is a highly contagious illness caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, commonly found in soil. It primarily affects animals but can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.
