Uganda wants thermal cameras at borders
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Nile Post
Uganda’s State Minister for Health Charles Ayume is calling for thermal cameras at major entry points to strengthen infectious disease detection. The proposal follows a joint health preparedness exercise with Rwanda aimed at improving surveillance and emergency response, according to Nile Post.
Uganda’s State Minister for Primary Health Care, Charles Ayume, has called for thermal cameras to be installed at the country’s major entry points to strengthen the detection of infectious diseases. He made the proposal after a meeting with officials from Rwanda’s Ministry of Health at the Katuna-Gatuna one-stop border post, according to Nile Post.
The equipment uses infrared radiation to detect changes in body temperature without contact, allowing health workers to identify travellers with elevated temperatures more quickly, Charles Ayume explained. The proposal comes as Uganda and Rwanda strengthen their preparedness for Ebola and other infectious diseases, particularly because of their proximity to areas affected by Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The meeting followed a three-day joint exercise focused on preparedness and response to cross-border health emergencies. Observers from Somalia, South Sudan and Kenya also took part in the exercise, according to Nile Post. Charles Ayume said Uganda had strengthened its epidemic response capacity and was increasingly deploying health workers and technical expertise to neighbouring countries.
The proposal comes after a simulation of a health emergency at the Uganda-Rwanda border. Uganda had also strengthened Ebola screening at Entebbe Airport on 22 October 2026.
