Authorities in Moyo District, located in Northern Uganda, have imposed a ban on consuming wild animals, including monkeys, in an effort to curb the spread of mpox.
The disease, which is currently affecting central Africa and reaching countries where it had not been previously detected, has prompted this urgent action. Pete Alomai, a single father of seven from Minzi village in Moyo sub-county, told the Daily Monitor that his family has stopped eating wild animals after learning from TV reports about mpox transmission.
While Ugandan law protects all wild animals, Alomai says that meat from baboons, Colobus monkeys and other wildlife is commonly eaten in the region. Families are now being urged to cease this practice to minimise their risk of infection, especially following confirmed cases in the neighboring Adjumani District.
Mpox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, with natural hosts including small mammals like squirrels and rodents. However, it can spread to monkeys and, ultimately, to humans in areas where wild animals are hunted for meat.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreak a global health emergency. This year alone, nearly 30,000 suspected cases have been reported across Africa, most of them in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Uganda, 22 cases have been confirmed across nine districts.
The public is being urged to report suspected cases to village health teams or local health facilities. However, officials emphasise that the best prevention is to reduce the consumption of animal products, with a plant-based diet recommended as a safer alternative. According to the WHO, 75 per cent of the 30 emerging infectious diseases in the past three decades are zoonotic, meaning they come from animals, including HIV-AIDS, Ebola, rabies, malaria and more recently, Covid-19.
Dr Justine Butler, health adviser to Viva! Uganda says: “While illegal wildlife trade plays a significant role in the spread of these diseases, the increasing intensity of animal farming is also a contributing factor. The message is clear: it’s time to increase plant-based foods. They are by far the safest.”