Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1694847779754.pdf (Uganda)
THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA MINISTRY OF HEALTH STATEMENT TO PARLIAMENT ON SUSPECTED FOOD POISION OUTBREAK IN NAPAK & AMUDAT DISTRICTS, MARCH 2OI9 Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu Minister of State for lfealth Primary Health Care Holding the Portfolio of Minister of Health March 26,2019 1, Rt.

Hon.

Speaker Hon.

Members of Parliament, On Tuesday, March l2th, 2019, the Ministry of Health received an alert through its surveillance teams on the ground in Karamoja about suspected food poisoning and began investigations.
On March l3th, 18 persons were hospitalized in Alakas health center in Amudat in Karamoja Sub-region.

All had consumed World Food Program (WFP) Super Cereal (CSB +).

Super Cereal is a blended food fonified with micronutrients.

It is used in nutrition programs to treat and prevent malnutrition.
ABIII I'AP ) I{AI( itoRoTo ITIUDAT Legend I @ ruon affected errected district o 1(]0 200 30O km A total of 265 people have been affected between 13th to 23'd March with onset of Central Nervous System symptoms (headache, confusion & altered mental state); abdominal discomforl, general body weakness, diarrhea, vomiting and high fever in residents of Napak & Amudat districts.. As of March 25rh, atotal of 265 cases have been repofied (188 in Napak and 77 in Amudat).
Among them,263 cases have been discharged and 2 persons died from the health facility.

2 While the Super Cereal lot was distributed in over 40 health centers in Karamoja region, cases have been reported in only 3 centers.

Seventy-seven of the 265 people were admitted in Alakas, Lokales and Karita health centres in Amudat district while 185 were admitted in Lotome, Lorengechora, Kangole and Apeitolim health centres and Matany Hospital in Napak district.
Report indicated four deaths (three in Napat and one in Amudat), two died from health facilities and two in the community.

One male passed away in Lorengechora, Lookit village, Napak district and another female in Amuna village in Karita Sub County, Amudat district.

All the deaths took place on 16th of March, 2019.

The Government's investigative team are in the communities to veriS, the two none facility deaths.
On March l3th, Govemment and WFP collected Samples of Super Cereal Stocks and water from the affected areas.

Samples including blood, vomitus and urine from patients collected for analysis at the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratory and the Central Public Health Laboratory.

Food samples have been sent to a laboratory in Mombasa, Intertek Kenya LTD and another in Johannesburg Intertek Testing Services, South Africa.

LTD, for further analysis.


The Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Mr. John Byabagambi, and the Director General of Health Services, Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Country Directors of WFP, Mr. Elkhidir Daloum, and officials of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards visited the affected villages, in Amudat and Napak district on Monday 18 March, and spoke to the affected people and health workers.

The team found that the problem remains localized in only two of the eight districts of Karamoja.
Investigating teams from the Ministry of Health and WIP food technologists remain on the ground carrying out surveillance and epidemiological mapping to establish the associated factors and possible causes of this recent illness.

On Friday 15 March, WFP, working with the Govemment, ordered the immediate suspension of Super Cereal distribution in Karamoj a and the refugee hosting districts where it's distributed.

This is as a precautionary measure until investigations are concluded.
WFP is working with district authorities to retrieve all Super Cereal stocks from health centers and communities.

3 Rl.

Hon.

Speaker, An intensive communications campaign is ongoing, advising people not to consume Super Cereal until further notice.

Communities have been advised to obserue proper hygiene and sanitation, for example through handwashing with soap and drinking boiled water.
It should be noted that working through Government health systems, WFP has provided Super Cereal in Uganda for more than l0 years.

The current coverage of Super Cereal is at 252 locations in Karamoja in addition to many sites across the 13 refugee hosting districts.

Refugees receive Super Cereal in the general food basket.
Super Cereal is also distributed in many countries and has a robust record of fighting malnutrition and protecting pregnant or lactating mothers against malnutrition during the first 1,000 days of their child's life.

Super Cereal undergoes all the verifications of quality control before being distributed.

No previous complaints have been reported about the product in Uganda.
Super Cereal is a key component in WFP's support to the Government's nutrition programmes that aim to prevent stunting or life-threatening malnutrition.

WFP will therefore replace Super Cereal (CBS+) by Super Cereal Plus (CSB+++) in its nutrition program in Karamoja Rt.

Hon.

Speoker and Hon.

Colleagues, The goal of the United Nations World Food Programme is saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development.
WIP supports govemments and works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.

The Govemment of Uganda and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) are investigating whether there is a connection between recent illness reported in Amudat and Napak districts in Karamoja and Super Cereal, a fortified blended food distributed by WIP for prevention of malnutrition.
4 A team/committee of experts has been constituted and comprising of Ministry of Health, Ministry of Karamoja affairs, World Food Program, World Health Organization, Uganda National Bureau of Standards and Uganda Police The team will ensure that all results of investigations from the Directorate of Govemment Analyical Laboratory, the Central Public Health Laboratory, a laboratory in Mombasa, Intertek Kenya LTD and Johannesburg [ntertek Testing Services, South Africa.
LTD, are all put together comprehensively and correlate to clinical history, signs and symptoms and then share with the public The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Karamoja affairs and WTP commit to conclude all investigations and share the laboratory results with the public.

We appeai for calm as investigations are going on and request the communities to report any suspected illness to the nearest health facility or call our toll free line 080010006.

I beg to submit.
I beg to submit.

Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu (PhD) Minister of State for Heatth PHC Holding the Portfolio of Minister of Health 5