Uganda, Rwanda to conduct joint cross-border health preparedness exercise

What the report says

Uganda and Rwanda plan to carry out a joint cross-border health preparedness exercise aimed at improving how both countries respond to public health emergencies. Uganda’s Ministry of Health said the three-day simulation will start on Nov. 10 at the Katuna/Gatuna One Stop Border Post, a key crossing point between the two neighbors.

According to the ministry, the exercise will bring together health officials, border agencies and other partners to test coordination, information sharing and referral procedures during hypothetical outbreak scenarios. It will include drills involving health workers, and some activities may be visible to members of the public. The ministry emphasized that the simulation is not an actual emergency.

The stated goal is to strengthen cooperation across the border while maintaining safe travel and trade. The two countries share significant movement of people and goods, which makes joint preparedness important for early detection and response to possible disease outbreaks and other health threats.

The announcement comes at a time when the Democratic Republic of the Congo is still dealing with an Ebola outbreak. In broader public health terms, border preparedness exercises are often used to reduce delays in communication and response when diseases can move across national boundaries, especially in regions with heavy cross-border traffic.