Uganda, Feb. 29 -- As Uganda strengthens its capacity to prevent and respond to future disease outbreaks, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has called for increased health data sharing among member states to combat epidemics.

The call was made in Kampala on Wednesday at the Health Ministry headquarters during the handover of information and communication technology (ICT) equipment worth 62,000 euros (about Shs264 million) by IGAD to the Ugandan government.

Dr Ahmed Bashir, the IGAD regional coordinator for digital health, said the donated equipment was acquired through the disease surveillance project which is being done in seven countries because diseases know no border.

"The equipment provided today is meant to im...