In recent years, Uganda’s policy has faced significant shocks, arising mainly from foreign aid cuts which widened gaps in the access of critical social services like healthcare, education and clean water. Service providers such as World Food Programme, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Save the Children have substantially scaled down their operations, owing to budget shortfalls.

Now, a new crisis is disrupting the policy: the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Having been declared a public health emergency of international concern a fortnight ago, suspected Ebola cases in DRC have skyrocketed from just below 300 to 1,077 as of May 28, according to the Africa CDC , while Uganda’s confirmed cases have risen to seven. So far, DRC has recorded 246 suspected deaths, while Uganda has reported 1.

Experts warn that the Bundibugyo strain is highly transmittable and could claim many lives, as efforts to find a vaccine take shape.

In the last few days, inflows have overwhelmed the Nyakabande Transit Centre in Kisoro district, very close to the DRC-Uganda border. The huge numbers have worsened the risk of Ebola cases being imported by people fleeing armed violence. The centre currently accommodates over 1,775 refugees, more than twice its capacity – underscoring the heightened risk of disease spread.

As a public health measure, Uganda has temporarily closed its border with DRC, denying entry to hundreds fleeing gunfire and hunger.

“The only exceptions are authorised Ebola response teams, humanitarian operations, food and cargo transportation, and security,” Dr Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, announced on Wednesday.

While this clearly passes for preventing the spread of Ebola, it signifies a shift in the country’s approach, pointing to the potential implications; notably, subjecting vulnerable groups like women and children to possible harm.

Zawadi Simbenzye, a refugee, confirms that despite the absence of intense fighting in some parts of eastern DRC, they “are facing generalised insecurity in form of gross human rights abuses such as rape, gender-based violence, economic exploitation through extortion and looting, abductions for ransom, forced recruitment among others.”

Therefore, the measure is problematic.

In fact, it might push migrants to explore informal border crossing, hampering efforts to curb virus spread across the region, a view shared by the World Health Organisation.

This crisis tests the resilience of Uganda’s refugee policy, highlighting the need to build more capacity in the area of pandemic response amid conflict-induced displacement. Response strategies must consider alternative funding sources in light of the ever-shifting priorities of foreign funders.

This is especially critical as the isolation centre at Nyakabande grapples with human resource and logistical shortages amid the downsizing of social services by local providers facing funding inefficiencies.

As a result, Ebola screening and the isolation of suspected infected persons have been impeded. Furthermore, it has put the lives of healthcare workers working with insufficient personal protective tools, on the line.

The overcrowding at transit centres is gravely concerning. The respective governments must move swiftly to set up more screening points and distribute subsidised protective tools such as face masks and hand sanitisers. To achieve this, they could explore public-private partnerships in order to boost local manufacturing of the materials. This will not only help solve the logistical challenges; it will also boost local industry and ultimately the economy.

What’s needed now is community engagement, to build public trust and avoid a repeat of nasty incidents in DRC where mobs set ablaze treatment tents, making the entire community vulnerable.

The article solely represents the views of Simpson Muhwezi, a Ugandan freelance writer and development practitioner.