Uganda is officially Ebola-free, but health authorities are maintaining heightened surveillance as a worsening outbreak in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to pose a cross-border threat.
The Ministry of Health declared Uganda free of the 2026 Ebola outbreak on July 28 after completing the mandatory 42-day period without detecting a new case. The declaration followed the discharge of the country’s last confirmed patient on June 16.
However, officials have repeatedly stressed that ending an outbreak does not eliminate the risk of new infections being imported from countries where transmission continues.
Uganda’s latest outbreak was linked to infections originating in the DRC. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases, including two deaths among imported cases, while five additional cases resulted from secondary transmission among contacts and healthcare workers.
The experience demonstrated the vulnerability created by movement across Uganda’s borders, particularly with the DRC.
Regional danger
The concern has intensified because the Ebola situation in the DRC has continued to deteriorate.
Reuters reported on August 19 that the DRC had recorded more than 5,000 confirmed Ebola cases and 2,378 deaths, making the current outbreak the country’s largest on record. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
The WHO has warned that the continuing transmission in the DRC requires sustained preparedness in neighbouring countries, including Uganda. Earlier in the outbreak, the organisation identified cross-border movement as one of the exposure risks associated with Uganda’s cases.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health has therefore continued strengthening surveillance, laboratory services, contact tracing, quarantine, infection prevention and community engagement.
Health officials have also emphasised the importance of rapid reporting of suspected cases and maintaining vigilance among communities and health workers.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine, previously said Uganda’s approach during the outbreak was based on transparency and rapid information sharing, stressing that “the world is safer when we share information quickly and transparently.”
The situation illustrates a wider challenge for Uganda: an outbreak can be declared over nationally while the pathogen remains an immediate regional threat.
For a country that shares extensive borders and substantial population movement with the DRC, continued investment in surveillance and emergency preparedness remains critical.
