The Ministry of Health has established an Emergency Operation Center (EOC) at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital to enhance the region’s capacity to respond to public health threats and emergencies.
The new Regional Public Health Emergency Operation Center (RPHEOC) will serve as a hub for coordination, resource mobilization, and information sharing, improving the region’s ability to control and contain epidemics.
The launch of the center comes at a critical time, as Uganda grapples with an outbreak of Mpox, which was declared on August 2, 2024. As of Wednesday, the government has recorded 104 cases, with Nakasongola and Wakiso leading at 29 cases each.
According to Dr. Henry Mwebesa, Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health, the RPHEOC will support eight districts: Mubende, Kassanda, Mityana, Kyankwanzi, Kiboga, Luwero, Nakaseke, and Nakasongola, covering a population of approximately three million people.
“The decentralization of Emergency Operation Centers from the national level is designed to help us manage epidemics more effectively,” said Dr. Mwebesa. “Some of the public health threats we face, including Mpox, hemorrhagic fevers, measles, anthrax, and yellow fever, require quick detection and response.”
Mubende becomes the 14th of Uganda’s 16 regional referral hospitals to acquire an Emergency Operation Center.
“This center helps us stay prepared to respond to any disease outbreak in the region by monitoring and collecting data from the districts under its jurisdiction,” Dr. Mwebesa noted. “No strange disease should go unnoticed with such a center in place.”
Dr. Robert Majwala, Program Manager of the Global Health Security Program at Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation-Uganda, praised the initiative during the inaugural ceremony, highlighting its significance in bolstering health management in the region.
“The opening of this EOC could not have come at a more crucial time,” said Dr. Majwala. “The Mpox outbreak, currently affecting several districts, has underscored the need for strong, integrated response systems that can quickly contain and manage public health threats. With this EOC, we now have the tools and infrastructure to improve our surveillance, deploy response teams rapidly, and enhance coordination between the Ministry of Health, district authorities, and key stakeholders. This will allow us to save lives and protect our communities more effectively.”
In line with the International Health Regulations (2005), the World Health Organization (WHO) stresses the importance of effective EOCs in detecting a broad range of public health risks. These centers gather inputs from various surveillance systems and notify high-level leadership and stakeholders, ensuring prompt action to prevent or mitigate potential threats.
Acknowledging Uganda’s strong record in pandemic and epidemic containment, the speakers urged health workers, District Health Officers, Resident District Commissioners, and Chief Administrative Officers to remain vigilant and support the operations of the new facility.
Dr. Mwebesa, however, expressed concern that some facilities established upon political demands are underutilized.
“We have provided Health Centers upon request, yet we still see mothers traveling to main hospitals for cesarean sections,” he said. “Why aren’t we utilizing the facilities we’ve been given for their intended purpose?”
Mpox, a viral infectious disease spread through close contact, causes symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle aches, skin rashes, and back pain. The ongoing outbreak of Mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other parts of Africa was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO on August 14, 2024. The organization noted that multiple outbreaks with different modes of transmission and risk levels have occurred in various countries.