press release
Kibale — The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has mobilised an emergency health team of 100 volunteers to support the Ministry of Health and partners to combat the deadly Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Kibaale district.
Already, the Red Cross has dispatched Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Kibaale to support the case management team and URCS volunteers with their work on ground as they also protect themselves against the fever.
URCS is working closely with Ministry of Health and other agencies like WHO, MSF, UNICEF and AFINET who are part of the national task force on Ebola.
The 100 volunteers are undergoing training to support the dissemination of information about the disease and its transmission to the vulnerable communities. A senior staff and regional manager have moved to Kibaale to support in the training.
URCS Under Secretary General Programs and Projects Dr. Bildard Baguma says the volunteers will start their work by Friday this week.
He adds that the volunteers will also be involved in active case search and follow up of the contacts suspected or confirmed to be of Ebola.
"The volunteers will also be involved in counseling, rehabilitation and distributions of kits to survivors," Dr. Baguma explains. Uganda Red Cross Society has since 2000 been supporting the Ministry of Health in Ebola operations.
URCS will work with the national task force to procure Information, Education and Communication materials for community education and sensitization.
To boost its operations, URCS will receive support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide immediate assistance to about 1.6m indirect beneficiaries through community sensitization and community disease surveillance. http://allafrica.com/stories/201207310750.html
Already, the Red Cross has dispatched Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Kibaale to support the case management team and URCS volunteers with their work on ground as they also protect themselves against the fever.
URCS is working closely with Ministry of Health and other agencies like WHO, MSF, UNICEF and AFINET who are part of the national task force on Ebola.
The 100 volunteers are undergoing training to support the dissemination of information about the disease and its transmission to the vulnerable communities. A senior staff and regional manager have moved to Kibaale to support in the training.
URCS Under Secretary General Programs and Projects Dr. Bildard Baguma says the volunteers will start their work by Friday this week.
He adds that the volunteers will also be involved in active case search and follow up of the contacts suspected or confirmed to be of Ebola.
"The volunteers will also be involved in counseling, rehabilitation and distributions of kits to survivors," Dr. Baguma explains. Uganda Red Cross Society has since 2000 been supporting the Ministry of Health in Ebola operations.
URCS will work with the national task force to procure Information, Education and Communication materials for community education and sensitization.
To boost its operations, URCS will receive support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide immediate assistance to about 1.6m indirect beneficiaries through community sensitization and community disease surveillance. http://allafrica.com/stories/201207310750.html
