Uganda safe, no Zika says Ministry of Health

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There is no Zika virus infection or threat in Uganda, the Ministry of Health has said in an official statement. To date, there is no single record of Zika in Uganda.

There is no Zika virus infection or threat in Uganda, the Ministry of Health has said in an official statement. To date, there is no single record of Zika in Uganda.

“The Ministry of Health wishes to inform the public that the country is at no threat of the Zika virus that is now ravaging communities in South America. Surveillance reports across the country have indicated no risk of the virus,” says the Permanent Secretary in Uganda’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Asuman Lukwago.

Dr. Lukwago adds that there is no record of the virus in Uganda.
The Uganda Tourism Board reassures all citizens and visitors, that contrary to international press allegations, Uganda has no record of the Zika virus infection. Uganda is a safe destination for all travelers.
According to the Ministry of Health, the virus spreading through 21 countries in the Americas since May 2015, is a different species from the one once recorded in Uganda. Ugandan scientists and experts together with counterparts from the US and UK first isolated the Zika virus over 70 years ago. This was during a scientific research program on yellow fever.

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To date, the US Centre for Disease Control is tracking countries and territories with the Zika virus. The Ministry of Health reaffirms that the Uganda Virus Research Institute has testing facilities for Zika virus and there are no cases recorded locally.

UTB is happy to answer your specific questions or if you need and other information on travelling to Uganda.
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About the Uganda Tourism Board
The Uganda Tourism Board body is a statutory organization established by the Uganda Tourist Board Statute 1994 and reconstituted in the Tourism Act 2008.
Under the Tourism Act, 2008, the objective of Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is:
1. To promote and contribute to the development of the tourism sector both within and outside of Uganda.
2. To coordinate with the Ministry responsible for tourism and the private sector in the implementation of the national tourism policy.
3. Carry out any other activities as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the two objectives specified above.
About Uganda:
While in Uganda, you could also visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda home of the endangered mountain gorilla, spend a night on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi, the second deepest lake in Africa, visit Queen Elizabeth National Park where over 640 bird species have been recorded. Further north, you can go to the Murchison Falls National Park where the mighty Nile squeezes through a narrow gorge, only 7 metres (23ft) wide, before plunging 43 metres (141ft) below. If you are into fishing, the River Nile is a great area for sport fishing. Still north you can enjoy the hidden gem of Kidepo Valley National Park.

Away from the wild, you can enjoy the vibrant life of Kampala โ€“ the entertainment city of East Africa that never goes to sleep. Going East, you can travel to Jinja, the adventure capital of East Africa where the Nile begins its journey to Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. The ashes of Gandhi, the great leader of India, were sprinkled at the source of the Nile in Jinja where they too began their journey to the rest of the world.
Not far from the airport, join the party at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre and get the opportunity to feed the animals. Or take a speed boat to Ngamba Island to meet one the chimps of the 100 acre island. Get close up with the chimps at their meal time. If you have time on you before your flight, go fishing (catch and let go) with the Ngamba team before taking your speed boat back and checking in.

Wherever you go in Uganda, you are sure to enjoy the best of the peopleโ€”with 56 languages and dialects, you will sample as many cultures, foods, lifestyles โ€“ all linked by the smile and warmth that defines the people of Uganda. It is a nation that bring together all peoples and probably that is why Mahatma Ghandiโ€™s ashes were sent to the world from here at the source of the Nile.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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