Soroti Hospital Strengthens Public Health Emergency Systems to Boost Disease Surveillance in Teso

By Grace Amoding.

Soroti Regional Referral Hospital (SRRH) has launched a strengthened Public Health Emergency Management System aimed at improving early disease detection, surveillance, and response across the Teso region.

Speaking during an interview on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, the Head of the Community Health Department at SRRH, Dr. Joseph Morris Enabu, said the system is designed to ensure timely, coordinated, and data-driven responses to emerging public health threats.

Dr. Enabu revealed that the hospital’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) will be expanded and equipped with digital monitoring screens to track disease trends at district, regional, and national levels.

The centre will also coordinate response efforts and guide evidence-based decision-making throughout the region.
“Public health emergency management is about surveillance, planning, and response. We continuously monitor disease patterns, compare them with set thresholds, and act immediately when those thresholds are exceeded,” Dr. Enabu said.

He explained that the system relies on the District Health Information System (DHIS2), through which all health facilities report detected disease conditions. This enables health authorities to identify unusual increases in cases and distinguish between expected disease levels and potential outbreaks.

According to Dr. Enabu, when disease levels remain within normal limits, the system operates in a “watch mode,” focusing on surveillance, preparedness, training, and public awareness. Once alerts are confirmed, operations escalate to preparedness and full response phases, followed by de-escalation once the threat is contained.

“For instance, tuberculosis is expected to affect about three people in a population of 200,000. Any increase beyond that signals a public health concern that requires urgent intervention,” he noted.

The surveillance system operates from the community to the national level, with Village Health Teams (VHTs) and community members serving as the first line of detection. Suspected cases are reported to nearby health facilities, escalated to district authorities, and later consolidated at regional and national emergency centres.

Dr. Enabu said lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic informed the decentralization of emergency response, allowing regional hospitals to act swiftly without waiting for directives from Kampala.
“During COVID-19, responses were centrally managed. Now, regions can detect and respond to threats immediately, which saves time and lives,” he said.

With schools reopening, Dr. Enabu warned of heightened risks of measles and other highly contagious diseases, particularly in crowded settings.

He cited measles outbreaks reported in at least five districts in Teso in 2025, where regional teams supported districts with response planning, contact tracing, and mass vaccination campaigns.

“These outbreaks mostly affect unvaccinated children. Vaccination remains the most effective protection,” he emphasized.

Malaria remains the leading disease burden in the region, followed by respiratory tract infections, which peak during dry seasons. Dr. Enabu also expressed concern over the rising cases of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, especially among the elderly, attributing the trend to reduced physical activity and changing lifestyles.

He called on the public to actively support the system by reporting suspected health threats through the toll-free SMS line 6767, noting that all alerts are promptly verified and acted upon.

Oversight of the strengthened public health emergency system is provided by a Regional Steering Committee comprising Resident District Commissioners, district leaders, health and veterinary officers, security agencies, UPDF medical teams, hospital management, and implementing partners.

The committee conducts multi-hazard risk assessments and develops seasonal calendars to anticipate disease outbreaks.

To ensure accountability and timely action, the system will also include performance indicators to guide and monitor the work of development partners supporting the health sector in the region.