Epidemic preparedness and response

The social and political dimensions of disease epidemics, preparedness and response.

Background report

Economic Policy during the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Sudan

This Weekly Review, from October 23, 2020, analyses the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Sudan, and specifically focuses on production, the performance of the commodity and foreign exchange markets, and resultant government policy interventions. It concludes by…
Central and East Africa Hub
2020
Background report

COVID-19 and the Political Transition in South Sudan

This Policy Brief assesses the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has hampered the political transition in South Sudan and how political actors have responded to the crisis in terms of their responsibilities implementing the Agreement on the Resolution of…
Central and East Africa Hub
1Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration
2021
Background report

Will the Impact of the Pandemic on the Expected National Output Persist?

This Weekly Review, from June 3, 2021, contributes to the debate on how COVID-19 could affect economic growth in South Sudan. It addresses two related questions: What channels would transmit the COVID-19 scarring effects to the output? What can public…
Central and East Africa Hub
2021
Background report

Protecting South Sudan from the Ebola Virus Disease: Policy Implications

This Weekly Review, from October 25, 2022, draws from the Second Round of the EVD Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) assessment conducted in South Sudan in 2019 to highlight the implications of the recent Ebola Virus Disease events in Uganda…
Central and East Africa Hub
2022
news

Uganda declares end of Ebola disease outbreak

11th January 2023
On 11 January 2023, the Ugandan government has declared the end of the Ebola disease (Sudan strain) outbreak, less than four months after the first case was confirmed on 20 September 2022.
Central and East Africa Hub
Research paper

Border Parasites: Schistosomiasis Control among Uganda’s Fisherfolk

It is recognized that the control of schistosomisais in Uganda requires a focus on fisherfolk. Large numbers suffer from this water-borne parasitic disease; notably along the shores of lakes Albert and Victoria and along the River Nile. Since 2004, a…
Central and East Africa Hub
2012
Research paper

Assessment of infection prevention and control readiness for Ebola virus and other diseases outbreaks in a humanitarian crisis setting: a cross-sectional study of health facilities in six high-risk States of South Sudan

This study uses data from a structured questionnaire to assess the readiness and capacity of 151 health facilities across six states in Couth Sudan. It found that facilities most lacked a coordination committee structure (13.19%), guidelines and SOPs (21.85%), vector…
Central and East Africa Hub
2022
Blog

The many faces of the COVID-19 mask in Eastern DRC

The introduction of the mask during the COVID-19 outbreak changed daily life in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and took many faces. From state repression in the city of Goma, to fear of the unknown in rural areas, the mask…
Central and East Africa Hub
2021
Blog

Flattening the curve of Uganda’s coronavirus

The logic of flattening the curve should be treated differently where there are few health services to be overwhelmed, and people need to work in the day to eat at night. This blog post describes how lockdown in Uganda deserves…
Central and East Africa Hub
London School of Economics
2020
Blog

Do COVID-19 conspiracy theories challenge public health delivery?

The Ugandan government’s severe response to Covid-19 has encouraged endless debate over the virus’ origins, in the face of unclear global explanations. Conspiracy theories and rumours proliferate, especially in regions with no recorded infections. This blog post explores how local…
Central and East Africa Hub
London School of Economics
2020
Blog

In Uganda memories of Ebola spur resistance to COVID-19 public health efforts

Responses to COVID-19 vary across Uganda, with northern regions seeing resistance to public health efforts to enforce quarantine. For some communities the location of isolation and treatment centres, in particular, has caused public outrage, reviving memories of the 2000 Ebola…
Central and East Africa Hub
London School of Economics
2020
Blog

How do we measure the effectiveness of lockdown in Uganda against COVID-19?

In regions where state health systems are weak and premature death is common, it is possible for COVID-19 to have swept many parts of the world unnoticed, without the virus’ mass global awareness. This blog post reports from Uganda on…
Central and East Africa Hub
London School of Economics
2020
Blog

Dispelling COVID-19 rumours at local levels in Pakwach, Uganda

Rumours can have significant consequences for how local communities engage their health systems, posing problems for epidemic containment which can rely on trust in state actors. This blog post examines rumours associated with COVID-19 in the Pakwach district of Uganda,…
Central and East Africa Hub
London School of Economics
2020
Blog

Humanitarian diagnostics for sleeping sickness in Uganda

A key impetus for the invention of a Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) for sleeping sickness (also known as human African trypanosomiasis or HAT) was the persuasive advocacy for better ‘field ready tools’ by medical humanitarian agencies such as Médecins Sans…
Central and East Africa Hub
Somatosphere
2018
Research paper

Pandemics and soft power: HIV/AIDS and Uganda on the global stage

The COVID-19 outbreak of 2020 threatened years of effort by the Chinese authorities to extend its influence around the world. As with COVID-19, HIV/AIDS presented a fundamental threat not only to countries’ internal social stability and population health, but also…
Central and East Africa Hub
Cambridge University Press
2020
Research paper

COVID-19, Public Authority and Enforcement

The securitization of health is not a new phenomenon. However, global responses to the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa reveal the extent to which epidemic preparedness and response is now shaped by geopolitical concerns. This commentary describes how enforcement…
Central and East Africa Hub
Routledge
2020
Research paper

Experiences of the one-health approach by the Uganda Trypanosomiasis Control Council and its secretariat in the control of zoonotic sleeping sickness in Uganda

Elimination of sleeping sickness from endemic countries like Uganda is key if the affected communities are to exploit the potential of the available human and livestock resources (production and productivity). Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, the parasite that causes acute sleeping sickness…
Central and East Africa Hub
Elsevier
2020
Research paper

COVID-19 and Its Related Stigma A Qualitative Study Among Survivors in Kampala, Uganda

COVID-19-related stigma is gradually becoming a global problem among COVID-19 survivors with deleterious effects on quality of life. However, this social problem has received little attention in research and policy. This study aimed at exploring the COVID-19-related stigma among survivors…
Central and East Africa Hub
American Psychological Association
2021
Research paper

Institutional vulnerabilities, COVID-19, resilience mechanisms and societal relationships in developing countries

COVID-19 pandemic challenges could be utilised as an opportunity to reform government institutions to develop resilience measures that would potentially meet contemporary and future challenges. This article highlights that the current approach of institutions has failed to meet societal need.…
Central and East Africa Hub
International Journal of Discrimination and the Law
2021
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