Uganda has officially been declared Ebola-free after completing the World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended 42-day monitoring period without recording any new cases, marking a major public health milestone in the country’s response to the deadly virus.
Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, announced the development, saying the country had successfully completed two incubation cycles following the discharge of its last Ebola patient, a Congolese national who received treatment in Uganda.
The minister called on the international community to visit Uganda without fear of Ebola, assuring that the outbreak had been successfully contained.
Health authorities said the outbreak was linked to the larger Ebola epidemic in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri Province.
The first confirmed cases in Uganda involved Congolese nationals who crossed the border seeking medical care before it was established that they had contracted Ebola.
Congo declared its Ebola outbreak on May 15, the same day Uganda confirmed two Ebola cases, including a patient who had already died.
Uganda recorded a total of 20 confirmed Ebola cases during the outbreak. According to health authorities, there is no evidence of ongoing transmission within the country.
The Ministry of Health stated that the outbreak resulted from a fully documented importation event, unlike previous Ebola outbreaks experienced by the country.
It added that all identified contacts were placed under institutional quarantine and completed the mandatory 21-day follow-up period without developing the disease, while enhanced surveillance detected no unexplained community transmission.
The outbreak was caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Despite Uganda’s success in containing the outbreak, health authorities said surveillance would continue, particularly along border communities, as the Ebola outbreak in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo remains a regional public health concern.