Blog note: And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:11). Jesus is giving a series of prophecies about what to look for as the age of grace comes to a close. This verse from Luke is one of many such prophecies from throughout the Bible. 2017 was the worst year in recorded history for the intensity, frequency, severity, duration and occurrence of a large number of severe natural disasters worldwide. Earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, torrential flooding, unprecedented wildfires in unusual places, devastating droughts, excessive/scorching heat setting records everywhere, record snowfalls in Europe and Russia. Snow in the Arabia. This list can go on. Most studied eschatologists believe these ‘fearful sights’ and massive natural disasters are all part of the ‘CONVERGENCE’ of signs that this Biblical and prophetic age is closing. Most people who study prophecy are familiar with the routine reference(s) made that these things will be like a woman having labor pains that occur in greater severity, frequency, size and duration prior to giving birth. End of note.

Uganda begins Ebola vaccinations amid Congo transmission fears

By Elias Biryabarema. Reuters. November 2, 2018

KAMPALA (Reuters) – Uganda says it will start to vaccinate some of its health workers against Ebola on Monday, amid fears that the viral haemorrhagic fever could spread from Democratic Republic of Congo which is battling an outbreak.

The East African country has suffered regular outbreaks of Ebola and Marburg over the years, both high-fatality viral haemorrhagic fevers. Parts of Uganda’s western border are about 100 km (62 miles)from sites of an Ebola outbreak taking place in Congo.

Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said authorities would administer about 2,100 vaccinations covering so called frontline health personnel working in districts near the border. Tens of thousands cross the border in both directions weekly for trade and family visits and other purposes, Aceng said.

Because of this the “risk of cross border transmission was assessed to be very high … hence the need to protect our health workers with this vaccine,” she told a news conference.

Congo declared an outbreak of Ebola on Aug. 1 and there have been at least 139 deaths.

Because of the short distance from the outbreaks in Congo, Uganda has been on high alert, with heightened screenings of arriving travelers and training of health personnel in border areas. Aceng said widespread insecurity in eastern Congo’s North Kivu and Ituri provinces added to Uganda’s vulnerability to cross border transmission. “The security situation in North Kivu and Ituri is hindering effective implementation of response activities,” Aceng said.

Uganda’s worst Ebola outbreak was in 2000 when 425 people were infected, more than half of whom died.

(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa, William Maclean)