Uganda’s Ministry of Health has officially declared the country Ebola-free after successfully containing its latest outbreak of the deadly viral haemorrhagic disease, which infected 20 people and claimed two lives.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by the country’s Health Minister, Chris Baryomunsi, following the successful completion of the mandatory 42-day surveillance period required after the last locally transmitted Ebola case.
Uganda has experienced several Ebola outbreaks since recording its first epidemic in 2000. However, health authorities say the country has developed the capacity to detect and contain outbreaks quickly, limiting community transmission.
According to the minister, the latest outbreak was declared in mid-May, with 15 of the confirmed cases linked to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the disease continues to spread.
The last Ebola patient in Uganda, a Congolese national, was discharged on June 22, while the final Ugandan patient infected through local transmission recovered and was discharged on June 16, 2026.
Baryomunsi said 18 of the 20 confirmed cases recovered and were discharged, while two patients died. Both fatalities were nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Throughout this period, the Ministry of Health maintained intensive surveillance nationwide, and no new Ebola cases have been detected,” the minister said.
Health officials noted that Uganda remains vulnerable to Ebola outbreaks because of its tropical forests, which are home to fruit bats, the natural reservoir of the virus.
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids or tissues of infected persons or animals. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, bleeding and, in severe cases, organ failure.
Uganda’s declaration marks the successful end of its latest Ebola outbreak following weeks of intensified surveillance and public health response efforts.
(Reuters/NAN)
