WHO Declares Uganda Ebola-Free
Heba Habib
The WHO officially declared Uganda Ebola-free on August 27, following 42 days with no new cases. The country recorded 20 cases and 2 deaths since the outbreak began. Meanwhile, the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains ongoing, with over 5,600 confirmed cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared Uganda Ebola-free on August 27, after the East African nation completed the mandatory 42-day surveillance period without any new infections.
The announcement was made during a joint press conference between the WHO and Uganda's Ministry of Health on the same day. Earlier, Uganda had declared the end of the outbreak on July 28 based on its own analysis of the transmission chain.
Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary of Uganda's Ministry of Health, said: "We have assessed the risks, the entire transmission chain and how the virus entered the country, and we know we are free of Ebola. However, WHO had to wait because that is the process, that is the guidance."
According to official data, Uganda recorded a total of 20 Ebola cases, including 2 deaths. The last confirmed case was on June 21. The final patient was discharged from the Mulago National Isolation and Treatment Center on July 16.
Atwine called on countries that had imposed travel restrictions on Uganda during the outbreak to lift them: "Unless they have other reasons, they certainly should remove restrictions on our country, and Ugandans should be free to travel to any country."
Meanwhile, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains complex. As of August 25, confirmed cases in the country had reached 5,656, an increase of 72 from the previous day's report, with 2,715 deaths. Ituri province in northeastern Congo remains the epicenter, with more than 4,700 cases.
Uganda shares a border of over 877 kilometers with northeastern Congo. The WHO stated that Uganda is supporting treatment and testing capacity at two sites in Aru and Kasenyi in Ituri province. This cross-border cooperation model could be replicated across the region.
Uganda also announced it would open two additional Ebola treatment centers in Congo, bringing the total to four. On August 25, officials from both countries met in Kampala to review a memorandum of understanding on cross-border health security cooperation.
Kenneth Akiiri, Uganda's Deputy Minister of Health, urged the WHO and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to mobilize more resources: "When you are weak and have limited resources, you must speak up and ask for help." Congo's delegation leader, Adelard Lufungula, stressed the need for decisive action: "We want to fight Ebola like a war."
