KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni has urged religious leaders across Uganda to temporarily stop laying hands on worshippers during prayers and healing services, warning that the practice could increase the risk of Ebola transmission through direct physical contact.
Addressing the nation on measures to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak, Museveni said faith leaders should continue offering spiritual guidance and prayers while avoiding physical contact that could facilitate the spread of the virus.
The President emphasized that prayer does not require touching worshippers and that religious leaders can effectively intercede on behalf of believers without direct contact.
“The pastors, the people of God, are the ones who touch patients saying they are healing them. If you pray to God, you can pray to God without touching. God is not deaf; He will hear you. Bless people without touching them,” Museveni said.
Drawing on his experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, the President recalled declining physical contact even with senior religious figures as part of efforts to reduce the risk of infection.
“The other time when we had Corona, the Archbishop of Canterbury came here. They said he wanted to bless me. I said, ‘No, you bless me from a distance. Don’t touch me.’ He couldn’t touch me. I could not even greet him; I refused it,” he said.
Museveni also called on Ugandans to embrace science alongside faith, arguing that scientific knowledge plays a critical role in protecting human life and combating disease outbreaks.
Referencing biblical teachings, he said humanity was entrusted with understanding and managing nature, which he described as the foundation of scientific inquiry.
“In the Book of Genesis, it says establish dominion over nature. This is science. Establishing dominion over nature is to understand science. Man was created after all other creatures and was told to establish dominion over them because he is cleverer,” Museveni said.
The President stressed that public health measures and religious practices should complement each other during disease outbreaks, particularly in efforts to prevent transmission.
“Don’t touch people; bless them because you are not the one helping them, it is God. You are interceding. Talk to God. God is not deaf; He will hear you from a distance,” he added.
His remarks come as the government intensifies surveillance, public awareness campaigns and preventive interventions aimed at containing the Ebola outbreak and preventing community transmission.
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Health authorities have urged institutions, including places of worship, schools and public facilities, to strictly observe public health guidelines designed to reduce infection risks and protect communities.
Ebola is a severe viral haemorrhagic disease that spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials.
Public health experts have consistently advised limiting unnecessary physical contact during outbreaks as a key strategy for breaking chains of transmission.
The government has maintained that cooperation between religious institutions, healthcare workers and communities will be critical in strengthening the national response to the outbreak.
