WHO Officially Declares Uganda Ebola-Free Following 42-Day Monitoring Period

The international health body confirmed Uganda’s Ebola-free status after the mandatory observation period ended, even as infections continue to surge in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Published On 26 Aug 202626 Aug 2026

The World Health Organization has officially declared Uganda free of Ebola, confirming that the East African nation successfully completed the required 42-day surveillance period without registering any new infections.

The announcement was made during a joint press conference held on Tuesday with Uganda’s Ministry of Health.

Notably, this declaration came approximately one month after Uganda had already announced the conclusion of its local outbreak, based on its independent assessment of viral transmission patterns.

“We had assessed the risk, we had assessed the whole chain of transmission and the dynamics of importation of the virus in the country, and we knew that we were free from Ebola,” Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary of Uganda’s Health Ministry, stated in an interview with national broadcaster NTV.

“However, WHO had to wait because that’s the process. That’s the guideline.”

Atwine urged countries that had imposed travel restrictions on Uganda during the outbreak to remove them immediately.

“Unless they have other reasons, they should definitely lift the restrictions off the country, and Ugandans should be free to travel to any country,” she emphasized.

Throughout the outbreak, Uganda recorded a total of 20 Ebola infections, with the final confirmed case identified on June 21. Two fatalities were attributed to the virus during this period.

The last patient was released from Mulago National Referral Isolation Centre on July 16, prompting the Health Ministry to officially declare the outbreak concluded on July 28.

Meanwhile, the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo presents a starkly different picture, with the outbreak there intensifying at an alarming rate.

As of August 25, confirmed cases in the DRC had climbed to 5,656, representing an increase of 72 cases from the previous day’s report. According to the most recent government figures referenced by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the death toll has reached 2,715.

Ituri province, located in northeastern DRC, continues to serve as the epicenter of the outbreak, with infection figures surpassing 4,700 individuals.

Uganda shares an extensive border with the northeastern region of the DRC, stretching over 877 kilometers (approximately 500 miles).

During Wednesday’s news conference, Kasonde Mwinga, the WHO’s country representative for Uganda, noted that Uganda is actively supporting treatment infrastructure and laboratory capabilities at two cross-border sites, Aru and Kasenyi, both situated within Ituri province.

Mwinga further suggested that this model of cross-border cooperation could potentially be scaled up to encompass the broader region.

In a related development, Uganda has announced plans to establish two additional Ebola treatment facilities in the DRC, which would increase the total number of centers to four.

On Monday, health officials from Uganda and the DRC convened in Kampala to conduct a comprehensive review of their bilateral memorandum of understanding concerning cross-border health security measures.

Kenneth Akiiri, Undersecretary of Uganda’s Health Ministry, appealed to the WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to mobilize additional resources to address the crisis.

“When you are vulnerable and you have little resources, you are supposed to raise an alarm for help,” Akiiri remarked in a joint statement.

Similarly, DRC delegation head Adelard Lufungula called for decisive measures to contain the virus, declaring, “We want to fight Ebola like a war.”

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