The Health Minister of Uganda, Jane Ruth Aceng, on Wednesday disclosed that the number of confirmed Ebola cases has risen to 109 and the virus has killed 30 people.
Aceng, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen said fifteen of the confirmed cases were among health workers and the virus killed six.
Aceng said five treatment centres were operational and a sixth is being set up.
She said; "The Ministry of Health with support from partners is setting up an additional treatment facility in Mulago sports field."
The Health Minister stressed that the new centre will raise the number of beds available to treat Ebola patients to 351.
CEOAFRICA had reported that the virus circulating in Uganda is the Sudan strain of Ebola and there is no proven vaccine, unlike the more common Zaire strain seen during recent outbreaks in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Aceng said her ministry will be evaluating the efficacy of three candidate Ebola Sudan vaccines in the coming weeks, one developed by Oxford University, one made by the Sabin Vaccine Institute in the United States and another by U.S. drugmaker Merck & Co (MRK.N).
"The main objective is to evaluate their efficacy to protect primary contacts of Ebola patients within 29 days of contact."
"We estimate that we may begin the trial in two weeks time."