Ebola Archives - Uganda Christian University Partners

By Jimmy Siyasa
Typical weekend activity at the Uganda Christian University (UCU), Main Campus, has a temporary lull.

Usual Saturday nights are filled with laughter and the sound of cheerful play echoing from Nsibambi Hall, named after a former Ugandan Prime Minister and designated as a male resident common; the students consistently meet there to watch the English Premier League soccer match. The mood is mirrored on a typical Friday evening in Sabiti Hall, the female residence named after a former Ugandan archbishop. There, girls have an impromptu movie night, watching Spanish telenovelas and sharing shawls and snacks as their carefree spirits light up their cubicle-size rooms.

On some weekend nights, there is a “Worship Night” organized by the Chaplaincy in Nkoyoyo Hall where no less than 500 students engage in vibrant musical praise and worship. Across campus, it is not uncommon to spot a group of friends squeezed into a crowded Toyota Vitz after a late study session. Within a sub-compact car, shoulders brush as they chatter about the week ahead.

These scenes of vibrant, social life—hallmarks of university culture— took a turn in February when UCU determined added vigilance was necessary. For students whose days involve handshakes, hugs and shared spaces, such a contagious disease could be fertile ground.

Just as with Covid-19, the emergence of the Mpox (commonly called monkey pox) virus in Uganda sparked a united response at UCU and across the country to protect the community and curb a threat.

Mpox spreads primarily through close, personal contact, including skin-to-skin contact with someone who has an infectious rash or by touching contaminated objects or materials.

Uganda’s fight against Mpox began with its first case on July 24, 2024, in Mpondwe, Western Uganda. On Feb. 11, 2025, the country confirmed 2,896 cases. This outbreak follows Uganda’s triumph over Ebola, contained in just 69 days thanks to a swift, coordinated intervention in 2022. Today, that same resolve drives the Mpox effort.

Addressing the public on February 18, Uganda’s Minister for Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng noted that the ministry continues to “monitor and contain” the disease with much hope of overcoming it.

“Uganda remains safe, and we have the capacity to manage the outbreak,” she said, reassuring both natives and foreigners.

The management involves tracing, diagnosing and educating.

The Ministry of Health deployed investigation teams, like Mukono’s Surveillance Department, to trace contacts on UCU’s campus during the last week of February.
Mobile labs, once key to rapid Ebola testing, were converted to diagnose Mpox swiftly.
Nationwide education campaigns, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), teach millions about prevention including impact of vaccination.

Uganda’s history—from pioneering Yellow Fever research to ending Ebola outbreaks — demonstrates safety. USAID’s $22 million boost during the 2022 Ebola fight, funding labs and treatment centers, laid groundwork that aids the Mpox response, proving past investments endure.

While the UCU campus is not impacted by widespread Ebola or Mpox, the Directorate of Medical Services, hosted at the Alan Galpin Health Centre, is proactive – sharing facts, safety tips and calling for vigilance.

Dr. Geoffrey Mulindwa, UCU Director of Medical Services

“If you or someone around you feels unwell, promptly notify health workers for assessment and care,” wrote Dr. Geoffrey Mulindwa, the Director of Medical Services, on Feb. 25, 2025. “Let’s all do our part to prevent Mpox at UCU.”

Their plan targets habits that define student life. Handshakes are out; frequent handwashing with soap or sanitizer is in. Sharing clothes and piling into close quarters are discouraged.

“Limit unnecessary physical contact,” the Directorate urged.

Students feeling unwell were instructed to call the Directorate’s hotline for immediate care. With Mukono’s contact-tracing team arriving soon, UCU is fully cooperating, ready to isolate risks. This blend of discipline and care reflects UCU Christian values, turning a wake-up call into a collective stand for safety.

Ironically, this action occurred a week away from the Easter Semester 2025 Health Awareness Week. To assist with disease mindfulness, the normal weekend wind-down at UCU has been replaced by quiet and a mantra of “health first.”

While assistance through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has been halted, Uganda and the WHO are engaged in efforts to combat Mpox and Ebola.

“Controlling outbreaks is about saving lives,” Dr. Aceng said.

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Beatrice Birungi at UCU School of Medicine (UCU Partners photo)

(NOTE: In September 2018, Uganda Christian University launched a School of Medicine with 60 students. To “put a face” on Uganda’s future doctors and dentists, some of these students were interviewed at the completion of the first semester. This is a story about one of these students.)

By Frank Obonyo
As I sat down to write her story, one thing became clear. Beatrice Birungi’s aspirations are comparable to those of Dr. Bernard Rieux in the novel, The Plague.

In his fictional account, Rieux was one of the first people to urge the public to take stringent measures to fight the deadly epidemic that struck the French Algerian City of Oran. When it is placed under quarantine, Dr. Rieux continues to battle the plague despite signs that his efforts make little or no difference. Although he is separated from his wife, he does not allow his personal distress to distract him from his battle to relieve the collective social suffering.

Just like Oran City, Beatrice’s village Bumate in Bundibugyo District Western Uganda was swept by an Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic in 2010 when she was just eight. Four of her relatives died because of the deadly virus, and the surviving ones were not allowed to take part in the burial ceremonies. In any African tradition, telling one that they cannot bury their loved ones can be tormenting.

As a little child, she saw her surviving relatives quarantined by the government to reduce any further spread of the virus. Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids—and the disease can cause people to excrete blood and other bodily fluids as they die. Thus, the precaution of the quarantine occurred.

Beatrice then made up her mind to study and become a medical doctor in order to raise awareness about Ebola prevention and treatment with the hope of saving her community. She is one of the pioneers of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Medicine.

“I want to become a doctor so that I can help my people should that kind of epidemic strike again,” Beatrice said. “I felt that there was much more that would have been done such as educating health workers on better understanding of the disease and strengthening clinical care.”

Time and time again, it has been necessary for Beatrice to have a strong will and determination. She has never been the type of student who looked down on herself. She has a heart to help the community and believes that an African girl deserves to achieve much even amidst all odds.

Medical Laboratory head, the Rev. Bernard Simeon Bakunda, demonstrates the Estimation of Haemoglobin by Sahli's Technique to student Beatrice Birungi. (UCU Partners photo) — Medical Laboratory head, the Rev. Bernard Simeon Bakunda, demonstrates the Estimation of Haemoglobin by Sahli’s Technique to student Beatrice Birungi. (UCU Partners photo)

“Girls should not be put in this little picture of a small person who is only supposed to be beautiful and speak nicely,” she said. “They also can become doctors.”

She chose UCU’s School of Medicine because she was told by her dad and three other siblings who studied at UCU that she would receive a holistic education – one that addresses the hands, head and heart.

“We have a tight schedule at the School of Medicine but it is all about setting priorities right,” she said. “Our school is new, but there is a bright future for it. I love the small class because it enables us to interact with lecturers so freely, and we hope to get more and better equipment which will be used to train us into better medics.”

Beatrice also is a writer. She started working on a fictional story in 2017 and believes she will be a published author within the next two years.

Against equal opportunity challenges common to most African girls, Beatrice decided she would not allow negative people to keep her from achieving her goals. She has hope and a “no-give-up” spirit.

“I am proud to say that I have always been determined to pass and graduate as a medical doctor even though my society often believes that the girl child is only good for marriage,” she said.

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More information about the Uganda Christian University School of Medicine can be obtained at https://www.ugandapartners.org/priority-projects To support science students, books and facilities at the medical school, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, atm.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org or donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/

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Tag Archives: Ebola

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