Amuru District has unveiled a UGX 913.2 million emergency cholera response budget as the area battles an outbreak that has claimed five lives and infected more than 200 people since the beginning of July.
The draft budget was presented on Tuesday during a weekly district task force meeting held at Bibia Health Center III in Atiak Sub- County—one of the key facilities overwhelmed by cholera patients.
According to statistics from the district surveillance department as of July 27, a total of 228 suspected cases had been reported. Of these, 205 were identified as probable cases using Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits, and 27 were laboratory-confirmed. The epicenter of the outbreak is Lorikor East Village in Elegu Town Council, near the Uganda–South Sudan border.
Charles Otai, the Chief Administrative Officer of Amuru, said the proposed budget aims to fill the funding gap caused by inadequate government resources. He emphasized the need for support from health partners and revealed plans to submit the proposal to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health to seek additional support.
Budget Priorities
The proposed cholera response plan targets several key areas:
- Social mobilization: UGX 206 million
- Case management: UGX 142 million
- Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives: UGX 136 million
- Surveillance: UGX 124.4 million
- Mental health and psychosocial support: UGX 111.3 million
- Infection prevention and control (IPC): UGX 82 million
- District task force coordination: UGX 56.7 million
- Rapid response team: UGX 42.1 million
- Laboratory support: UGX 24.3 million
- Risk communication: UGX 13 million
- Logistics: UGX 9.4 million
- Data management: UGX 4.8 million
Robert Onekalit, the district surveillance focal point person, noted that the budget will support improved reporting and early detection. Planned purchases include mobile phones for village health teams, a dedicated alert desk with communication tools, laptops, and facilitation for data collection and response coordination.
Health Facilities Overwhelmed
Milton Steven Okello, the in-charge of Bibia Health Center III, raised concerns about overcrowding and limited staff. The facility has treated over 200 cholera patients so far, with 11 still in the isolation ward.
“The isolation ward was originally meant for only two patients but now holds six. Our general ward, designed for 11 patients, is also filled with cholera cases,” Okello explained. He added that although the facility now has eight staff members, they remain overstretched, as each cholera patient requires constant monitoring.
District Strategy and Response
Osborn Geoffrey Oceng, the Amuru Resident District Commissioner and head of the task force, said the district is prioritizing efforts to halt transmission by identifying and zoning hotspots.
During the meeting, the district leadership issued several recommendations to curb the spread of cholera. These include:
- A ban on roadside food vending
- Arrest of unlicensed drug shop operators treating cholera patients
- Enforcement of regulations against open defecation
- Restriction on the use of shallow wells
