The British High Commission in Kampala has announced that the UK will provide £1M ( UGX 4.7 Bn) to Baylor College of Medicine and the Infectious Disease Institute to support Uganda’s response to the current Mpox outbreak.
This development was confirmed on Thursday, October 10, 2024, on the Ministry of Health’s official X handle.
According to the ministry, the support delivered through these expert partners will be aligned with the Government of Uganda’s overall Mpox response plan to strengthen the coordination of the response, surveillance, risk communication, and community engagement.
Philip Smith, the Acting British High Commissioner to Uganda said that UK’s support will work in the affected districts to improve the response to the outbreak.
“It is critical that we work with the Government of Uganda to counter this outbreak. We are pleased to announce this additional funding is being released immediately to support a timely response. The UK’s support will work in affected districts to improve the response to the outbreak on the ground. The UK will stand with the Government and people of Uganda in tackling this outbreak,” Smith said.
The Minister of Health, Jane Ruth Aceng, expressed gratitude to the UK and acknowledged that the UK has always been a crucial ally of the Ugandan government in combating disease outbreaks.
“We acknowledge that our collaboration with the UK dates back several years. The UK has always been a key partner with the Government of Uganda in our outbreak response. We appreciate the £1 million contribution via implementing partners Baylor Uganda and Infectious Disease Institute in supporting us respond efficiently to the Mpox outbreak,” Aceng said.
Uganda confirmed the first cases of Mpox on August 2, 2024, following the confirmation of two case-patients from Kasese District.
