Uganda, Rwanda to Conduct Joint Health Preparedness Exercise at Katuna-Gatuna Border

What the report says

Uganda and Rwanda are planning a three-day joint health preparedness simulation at the Katuna-Gatuna One-Stop Border Post from November 10 to 12, 2026, according to Nile Post. The exercise is being organised through the two countries’ health ministries and partner agencies, with the aim of improving readiness for public health emergencies along the shared border.

The drill will test how health teams and border authorities coordinate during a potential health event. Based on the reporting, participants will focus on information sharing, emergency referral procedures and overall cross-border response arrangements. The statement cited by Nile Post, attributed to Uganda’s Director General of Health Services, Prof. Charles Olaro, said members of the public may see organised activities involving health workers and other agencies at the border.

Officials warned that the visible drills should not be mistaken for an actual outbreak or emergency. The exercise is also meant to support safe travel and trade between the two countries while strengthening public health protection in a busy border area.

More broadly, cross-border simulation exercises are commonly used in the region to improve preparedness for infectious disease threats and to help neighboring countries coordinate responses more quickly. In this case, the planned activity comes against the backdrop of wider regional concerns about the spread of communicable diseases across borders.