It might seem like Christmas is coming early for students in Uganda as millions of them head home early for the school holidays on Friday. Yet the decision to close schools nationwide two weeks before the end of term has been taken to curb the spread of Ebola, as the country continues to battle one of its worst outbreaks.
It is also at odds with the government’s official stance that everything is under control.
In the past two months 55 people have died with the virus – and there were 22 probable Ebola deaths before the outbreak was officially declared on 20 September.
Some experts have expressed reservations about the school shutdowns, arguing that keeping pupils contained for another two weeks would be a better way to halt the spread of the deadly disease, given the incubation period can last from two days to three weeks.
Ebola is a viral infection that is spread through the bodily fluids of a patient.
Many of the children who attend boarding schools will be travelling long distances across the country.
Parents’ visits banned
Education Minister Janet Museveni, who is also the wife of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, made the announcement earlier this month following 23 cases across five schools in Kampala – which led to the death of eight students.
The infections in the capital were linked to a man who had travelled to there from the western Mubende district, the epicentre of the outbreak.
