The Ebola epidemic in Uganda, who appeared to be in retreat, claimed a new victim: a 4 -year -old boy who died Monday, according to a foreign ministry cable seen by the New York Times.
The news of the child’s death comes even when Trump’s administration has canceled at least four of the five contracts with organizations that have helped manage the epidemic. He also put the director of the Ebola answer to the USAID on administrative permit.
The Uganda Ministry of Health informed US officials of death on Thursday. The confirmed case has not yet been announced by the Uganda government or the World Health Organization, but federal officials who participated in the response alerted the White House on Thursday night.
“Continuing support from the terminated awards is not only vital to the rescue of lives, but also vital to the protection of health and safety of the United States and the World Community,” William W. Popp, the US Ambassador to Uganda, writes on the cable.
Uganda has experienced a serious Ebola epidemic since January that seemed to retreat. The new case brings the total number of cases to 10, including two deaths. The first known death, a 32 -year -old nurse, reported in late January.
The boy’s family had requested care for him in three different hospitals, the cable said and died in the third, Mulago National Reference Hospital in Kampala. His three brothers were ill, but they have recovered, according to the child’s father.
The boy’s mother and her newborn infant died of unknown causes in January, the cable said.
The boy’s death is an indication that the virus is still circulating and the country has returned to a more active response, according to the cable. Officials in Uganda have begun to explore death, identifying the child’s contacts and the sequence of the virus.
USAID has largely participated in Ebola’s response to Uganda, but in recent weeks Trump’s administration broke its activities, reducing the number of people involved in outbreaks from over 50 to just six.
Although USAID is not the only supporter of the epidemic response, it was important. For example, federal administration for strategic readiness and response can provide treatments and USAID can buy filter pumps that provide treatment.
The terminated USAID contracts financed Ebola’s control at Uganda airports and protective equipment for health workers and helped prevent transmission by disease survivors, according to a former service official who requested to remain anonymous.
At the airport in ENTEBBE, Uganda, the promotion was on a pause for more than two weeks due to the freezing of Trump’s administration for foreign aid, according to the employee. The team that did so, the International Organization for Migration, decided a few days ago to repeat work with its own funds. Her contract ended on Wednesday night.
The first ebola patient in the current epidemic had gone to six healthcare facilities before he died, urging the Uganda government to ask the United States for protective tools for health workers.
USAID Stockpiles such tools in a warehouse in Nairobi, Kenya. But its employees have been banned by communicating with the where they managed the installation.
USAID employees eventually paid about $ 100,000 to supply the protective equipment elsewhere, but the contract with this provider has also been canceled.
US officials involved in trying to contain the Ebola epidemic are trying to restore contracts, noting that the project is vital to prevent the disease from spreading to other countries, including the United States.
“Stopping partners’ activities is a serious risk for Uganda’s ability to respond effectively and contain the virus,” the cable said.
