As learners prepare to return to school next week, the Ministry of Health has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to guide Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) prevention and control measures in schools during the ongoing outbreak. According to the ministry, the SOPs are aimed at ensuring a safe learning environment while reducing the risk of Ebola transmission in educational institutions. “Schools are places where learners, teachers, support staff, parents and visitors interact closely, making them vulnerable to the spread of infectious diseases if preventive measures are not followed,” part of the statement noted. The ministry explained that the guidelines provide practical measures for school administrators, teachers, learners, non-teaching staff, parents and visitors to support early detection, prevention and proper response to suspected Ebola cases within schools. Under the directives, all schools have been instructed to install handwashing facilities with clean running water and soap at entrances, classrooms, dormitories, dining halls, toilets and staff rooms, among other areas. Schools are also required to enforce mandatory handwashing for learners, staff and visitors upon entry and at regular intervals. Other measures include setting up temperature screening points at school entrances, restricting access for anyone showing Ebola symptoms, and regularly cleaning and disinfecting classrooms, dormitories, toilets, bathrooms, dining halls, school vehicles and frequently touched surfaces. Schools have also been advised to ensure proper waste management and disposal. The ministry discouraged handshakes, hugging and sharing of personal items, while encouraging proper ventilation in classrooms and dormitories by keeping windows and doors open where possible. In addition, schools have been urged to minimise non-essential gatherings and assemblies and suspend activities when advised by health authorities. Institutions are also expected to establish isolation areas for suspected cases and ensure the availability of supplies such as soap, water, hand sanitisers and thermometers. Schools must maintain updated contacts for nearby health facilities and district surveillance teams while conducting regular sensitisation sessions for learners and staff. Health authorities further directed that suspected Ebola cases should be reported immediately. If a learner or staff member develops Ebola-like symptoms, schools are required to isolate the individual in a designated area and notify the nearest health facility. Staff handling suspected cases have been advised to avoid direct contact with bodily fluids by using appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including gloves where available, and disinfect all areas the suspected patient may have contacted.Boarding schools have specifically been instructed to conduct routine health monitoring of learners, avoid overcrowding in dormitories where possible, closely monitor learners returning from holidays or affected areas, and keep records of visitors and movements into and out of the school. The ministry also stressed that schools should avoid transporting visibly sick learners and continue routine monitoring for illness. The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak last week following the death of a Congolese national who had been receiving treatment for Ebola at Kibuli Hospital. All individuals who came into contact with the patient have since been isolated for close monitoring.