Uganda

COVID-19

Enhanced health screening is in place. If you show any COVID-19 like symptoms, you will be placed in isolation in a hospital until you test negative for COVID-19. Gatherings of more than five people are banned and it is compulsory to wear masks in public. Permission for emergency use of private vehicles must be sought from your local Resident District Commissioner. Monitor the media for latest information and follow the advice of local authorities. See Travel for information about entry restrictions and quarantine measures.

More information:

Insect-borne diseases

Yellow fever is widespread in Uganda. Yellow fever is a potentially fatal virus spread by mosquitoes. It’s prevented by vaccination. Get vaccinated before you travel. Carry your vaccination card with you.

Malaria is common throughout the year.

Other insect-borne diseases found in Uganda include:

To protect yourself from disease:

• make sure your accommodation is insect proof
• use insect repellent
• wear long, loose, light-coloured clothing
• consider taking medication to prevent malaria

Get medical advice if you have a fever, muscle pain, rash or severe headache.

More information:

Bird flu (avian influenza)

In January 2017, local authorities confirmed cases of avian influenza (H5N1, ‘bird flu’) in wild birds and domestic poultry in Lutembe Bay near Entebbe and Masaka District.

Avoid contact with dead and living birds.

Ebola virus

In June 2019, the Ugandan Government confirmed its first cases of the Ebola virus in Western Uganda, originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Avoid areas known to have Ebola. However, if you’re in an affected area, avoid contact with:

• other people’s blood and bodily fluids
• anything that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or bodily fluids
• the body of someone who died from Ebola
• bats and primates, or blood or fluids from these animals (bushmeat), or meat from an unknown source
• raw or undercooked animal products

To protect yourself against the virus, practise good hygiene. Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitiser, especially:

• before touching your eyes, nose or mouth
• before eating
• after using the toilet
• after touching objects at high risk of being contaminated

More information:

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is a risk. Take precautions if you engage in activities that expose you to the virus.

Other health risks

Waterborne, foodborne and other infectious diseases are common. These include:

Serious outbreaks sometimes occur.

To protect yourself from illness:

• drink boiled water or bottled water with sealed lids
• avoid ice cubes
• don’t eat raw or undercooked food, such as salads
• don’t swim in fresh water

Check with your doctor about typhoid vaccinations.

Get medical advice if you have a fever or diarrhoea.

Read the original advice at SmartTraveller.gov.au by Australian Government