Health 19 May 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda Red Cross Seeks More Hands for Ebola Response Efforts
The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) is looking to bolster its workforce to effectively manage potential Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) threats. Facing a reliance on volunteers, URCS is exploring collaborations with Makerere University to bring in additional personnel. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/uganda-red-cross-society-seeks-manpower-for-ebola-responses-5466184
The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has announced a need for increased manpower to support ongoing responses to the Ebola Virus Disease in the country. URCS Secretary General, Mr. Robert Kwesiga, highlighted the organization’s significant dependence on volunteers.
To address this, URCS is considering engaging postgraduate students from Makerere University’s College of Health Sciences and College of Humanities and Social Sciences. This collaboration aims to supplement their existing teams, drawing on past successful partnerships with the university.
Mr. Kwesiga made the appeal during a recent Memorandum of Understanding signing between URCS and Makerere University, focusing on strengthening collaboration in research, education, and humanitarian service delivery. He emphasized that URCS’s responsibilities include border screening, community surveillance, isolating suspected cases, and ensuring dignified burials for victims.
These critical interventions have been reactivated, with preventive measures already underway in border districts like Kisoro and Koboko, as well as high-risk areas such as the Kampala Metropolitan region. Makerere University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, pledged the institution’s commitment to supporting health emergency responses and related initiatives.