KAMPALA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Uganda on Monday launched the second phase of its mpox vaccination campaign to curb the rising number of cases.

Emmanuel Ainebyoona, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, told Xinhua by phone that the campaign is targeting high-risk populations in the capital, Kampala, as well as key districts in the central and western regions of the country.

"We have already rolled out the second phase of the Mpox vaccination exercise in Kampala and districts in central and western Uganda. We expect a big turnout in areas where we have already communicated," Ainebyoona said.

Prossy Bukenya, a nurse at Kiswa Health Center in Kampala, the country's capital, said that turnout on the first day was low due to heavy rainfall. "We have so far received few people due to the heavy downpour. But we expect the number to increase to at least 100-150 on a daily basis," Bukenya said.

Ronald Ssekiziyivu, a food vendor in Kitintale village, a suburb of Kampala, said he decided to get vaccinated after seeing social media posts showing the effects of the disease.

"One of our colleagues showed us a photo on WhatsApp of a man suffering from Mpox. So when our local council leaders mobilized us, I had to come and get the vaccine," Ssekiziyivu told Xinhua.

Last week, Uganda received an additional 100,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support this next phase of the prevention campaign.

According to the National Mpox Situation Report issued by the Ministry of Health, as of April 1, Uganda has recorded 4,913 confirmed cases and 37 deaths. Enditem

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