Uganda Declares End of Ebola Outbreak

By Staff, Agencies

Uganda's Ministry of Health declared the country free of Ebola on Tuesday, more than two months after an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain infected 20 people and claimed two lives.

According to the Ugandan government, 15 of the confirmed cases were imported from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), while five resulted from local transmission.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported no new infections after June 21, with 18 patients recovering, including four infected health workers.

The outbreak remains active in DR Congo, where health authorities have reported 3,262 confirmed cases and 1,437 deaths. Nearly 90% of infections have occurred in Ituri Province, which borders Uganda and South Sudan.

Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced on X that Uganda was officially Ebola-free, stating that the last patient with a locally transmitted infection had been discharged on June 16.

Baryomunsi said the declaration followed the successful completion of a 42-day monitoring period, adding that the 2026 outbreak differed from previous ones because it originated from a fully documented imported case.

The WHO, however, said the 42-day countdown should have begun on July 16, when the final confirmed patient tested negative twice and was discharged.

The agency maintained that an outbreak can only be declared over if no new cases emerge during that monitoring period.