Busoga region gets public health emergency operations centre to monitor disease outbreaks

In a significant boost to healthcare in the Busoga sub-region, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with development partners, has inaugurated a new Public Health Emergency Operations Centre at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital.

The center is expected to play a crucial role in enhancing disease surveillance, monitoring outbreaks, and streamlining health data collection across the region.

The facility was officially commissioned by the State Minister for General Duties, Hanifah Kawooya, who emphasized the importance of the center in the broader strategy to strengthen disease control measures in Uganda.

This new establishment brings the total number of public health emergency operations centers in the country to 13, with plans to set up three more in the coming months.

"This center is part of our ongoing efforts to fortify our public health systems and to ensure quicker response times to disease outbreaks. With more centers planned, we are working towards a robust national network to tackle health emergencies more efficiently," said Minister Kawooya.

The new operations center will work closely with neighboring districts to collect and analyze health data, which will be forwarded to the National Emergency Operations Centre. This collaboration is aimed at enhancing long-term disease surveillance and improving responses to health crises in the region.

Dr. Alfred Yayi, Director of Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, noted that the center has already proven its importance.

"This facility was instrumental during the recent incident in Buyengo, where over 100 people were poisoned at a burial. It has also been closely monitoring the Mpox outbreak in Mayuge district," he said.

Dr. Isa Makumbi, head of the National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, expressed optimism about the impact of this regional facility.

"The national center has been handling all aspects of disease monitoring, data collection, and surveillance. With more regional centers like this one, we can decentralize these efforts, reducing the pressure on the national system and allowing for faster responses at the local level," he explained.

The Jinja facility, now fully operational, is expected to improve the region's capacity to handle health emergencies. It will serve as a critical hub for health workers and local authorities, coordinating efforts across Busoga's districts to ensure timely interventions in the event of disease outbreaks.

With the establishment of this center, Uganda is taking significant steps toward enhancing its public health infrastructure and protecting communities from emerging health threats.