Mr. and Mrs. Kintu* are among the many few medical personnel that contracted Ebola virus illness whereas within the line of obligation in 2022. Thankfully, the well timed and aggressive medical care that they obtained whereas admitted within the Ebola Therapy Unit (ETU) coupled with mutual assist saved their lives.

On the finish of 2022, a affected person visited the couple’s clinic with physique ache and headache. After a number of laboratory checks, he was prescribed anti-malaria medicine and despatched house. He returned the following day wanting even worse. On the third day, he obtained a nosebleed, which prompted the couple to refer him to Mulago Nationwide Referral Hospital. Sadly, they later realized that he had succumbed to Ebola Virus illness.

Regardless of being well being care staff, the couple was scared. They knew that they had been uncovered to the Ebola virus. The well being authorities later closed their clinic because the couple self-quarantined at their house.

In the course of the first few days of the contact tracing interval, the couple developed indicators of Ebola virus illness. They had been each examined optimistic to the illness. They had been then evacuated to the Ebola Therapy Unit (ETU), leaving their pretty youngsters with a relative.

“It was a bit tough to clarify to the kids. We solely instructed them we had gone someplace,’’ Mrs Kintu narrated.

Within the ETU, Mrs Kintu’s scenario deteriorated fairly quick. Her husband would examine on her, encourage her to eat and typically take her outdoors on the grass to get some recent air. “I used to inform her she was going to be fantastic,” explains Mr. Kintu.

All of the sudden, he stopped going to her and was reported to have worsened. “I regarded for him and even walked previous him, I couldn’t acknowledge him. In these 2-3 days, he had change into a special particular person.” Mrs. Kintu narrated.

“Ebola virus illness sufferers might have a medical presentation that’s utterly totally different from one other,” explains Dr. Senyonga Muzafalu, Case Administration Officer on the World Well being Group (WHO) in Uganda. “Whereas she had signs comparable to extreme headache and high-grade fever, her husband began with gentle signs of gentle physique aches, gentle headache, and gentle fever that progressed into very extreme ones and lasting for a very long time.”

Later, Mrs Kintu examined destructive and was eligible for discharge however didn’t settle for to depart alone. “I instructed the heath care staff that we had entered the ETU collectively and we’ll depart collectively.” Mrs Kintu proudly defined. She stayed by his facet on her mat, giving him at the least a spoon of meals, or a sip of juice.

To deal with points confronted by folks recovering from Ebola, Uganda arrange the Ebola Survivors Programme in 2023. The programme was applied by the Ministry of Well being with the assist of WHO and different companions.

WHO, by way of funding from the European Union Humanitarian Support Division (ECHO), has supported this programme since its inception. The group has supplied medical assist and interim public well being workers to run clinics, in addition to a spread of medicines to handle the after-effects of Ebola. It additionally supported an infection prevention and management assessments and mentoring and facilitated specialist involvement within the survivor clinics.

After discharge from ETU, the couple enrolled into the Ebola survivors’ programme. Due to consciousness supplied by way of this programme, the beneficiaries have improved their information of the illness. “I would love this program to proceed even after Ebola. Some folks have been cured of COVID-19 however are nonetheless struggling the results. A programme like this could have helped them,’ explains Mrs. Kintu.

The truth that each mother and father have stopped working has been tough for the Kintu household. They’d dependents, together with faculty going youngsters. That is the place Mrs Kintu makes her solely criticism of the Ebola survivor programme. Whereas different survivors obtained a bundle of meals and cash whereas being reintegrated, she didn’t. “This bundle would have been of nice assist,” she stated.

Alternatively, the couple stresses that entry to healthcare staff, recommendation, frequent check-ups, and viral persistence monitoring have been useful to them.

“Safety for well being care staff is a high precedence for the federal government of Uganda. They need to stay vigilant and all the time have protecting tools, whether or not there may be an outbreak or not,” explains Dr Kyobe Bbosa, the Incident Commander on the Ministry of Well being.

In weathering the illness and resettling again into their lives, Mr. and Mrs. Kintu are glad to have one another.

 *Names modified to guard id.