POROUS DRC, SOUTH SUDAN BORDERS EXPOSE ARUA CITY TO INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Leaders discussing the challenges of porous borders in West Nile. Photo by Morish Dramadri

By Martin Anguyo
Arua City

Leaders in Arua City have voiced growing concern over the porous borders shared with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan, which continue to expose residents to a range of infectious diseases affecting both humans and animals like Anthrax, Yellow Fever, Plague, West Nile Virus, and Rift Valley Fever.
 
These concerns were formally raised on Monday, September 22, 2025, during the launch of a public health exercise.
 
Hon. Atima Jackson Lee Buti, the Member of Parliament for Arua Central Division, emphasized that, the situation is placing a heavy burden on the Ugandan Ministry of Health, regional referral hospitals, and district health facilities.
 
"Arua City bordering two countries of Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, we get infiltrated with different diseases from our neighboring countries and the patients’ influx from the neighboring countries is overwhelming with the biggest number of refugees in the region" Hon Atima Jackson said.
 
Pontius Apangu, the City Principal Health Officer of Arua, noted that extensive sensitization efforts have been undertaken to curb the potential escalation of disease outbreaks.
 
"We do screening, we refer the patients with the highlighted health facilities, as we talk now, the health facilities are in such a way that, the higher level facilities have higher competence in terms of infrastructure, in terms of medical commodities, in terms of personnel" said the Principal Heath Officer.
 
However, Dr. Alex Andema, the Director of Arua Regional Referral Hospital, stressed that addressing the issue requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach.
 
"We know health can affect us socio-economically and if you come like this, we will improve the socio economic and this contributes to development. We need to participate in such a way that everybody is able to contribute in one way or the other" said Dr. Alex Andima.
 
Historically, from the year 2019 to 2021, the West Nile region—including Arua City—had experienced various disease outbreaks of which Yellow Fever and Rift Valley Fever were in the lead.
 
 

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