New study shows impact of haulage drivers in Uganda’s COVID-19 Delta wave

During the Delta wave of COVID-19 in Uganda, a study explored the role of haulage truck drivers in disease transmission across borders. Researchers employed a susceptible-infectious-recovered (SIR) model to analyze over 625,000 records from national surveillance data, aiming to understand how these drivers contributed to the spread of the virus.

The study unveiled several critical insights:

• Although truck drivers constituted only 0.036% of overall COVID-19 cases, the influence of their movement was substantial.
• Border districts experienced a 12.02% higher incidence of cases compared to inland regions, highlighting their role in introducing the virus.
• The risk was particularly pronounced in Tororo, which borders Kenya, compared to other border districts like Amuru and Kyotera, adjacent to South Sudan and Tanzania.
• Some interventions in Tororo inadvertently increased the risk of spreading the virus by up to 6%, indicating that certain strategies may have backfired.

Despite a limited effect on further inland transmission, the study found that targeted interventions in conjunction with vaccination efforts significantly reduced the case load in border areas.

Truck drivers were identified as a transient but crucial risk group in the transboundary spread of COVID-19. The findings emphasize the need for balanced pandemic preparedness strategies that protect public health while respecting the rights and roles of individuals in essential sectors like logistics and supply chains. This approach is vital to ensuring both public safety and economic continuity.

Digital One Health Laboratory

Roslin Institute 

Adrian Muwonge

Makerere University