UGANDA — At a small ceremony outside the main treatment centre, the health ministry announced that the last confirmed Ebola patient in the country has been discharged, formally ending Uganda’s current outbreak. The relief was palpable; Minister Chris Baryomunsi called it a “moment of joy” and urged calm as a 42‑day countdown begins before the nation can be declared Ebola‑free.
The case, first recorded in May, was a 43‑year‑old man who had traveled for treatment from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), the epicentre of the ongoing epidemic. Uganda had recorded a total of 20 confirmed cases, mostly visitors from DR Congo, and two fatalities.
The World Health Organization’s chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that the outbreak in DR Congo is now the third‑largest worldwide and is expanding rapidly. He noted that 80 % of new cases in the DRC stem from previously unknown transmission chains, and that the true number of infections could be four times higher than the reported figure.
In the wake of these developments, the United States has extended travel restrictions for citizens returning from DR Congo, requiring a 21‑day quarantine in a third country before entry. The measure, aimed at reducing cross‑border spread, may affect the deployment of U.S. medical teams in Ebola‑affected regions.
The Uganda Ministry of Health urges citizens to remain vigilant. “If you develop symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, seek immediate medical care,” it said in a statement posted on X.
Ebola, caused by a virus that attacks the immune system and organs, typically spreads through bodily fluids. The strain affecting Uganda, a Bundibugyo variant, has no approved treatment or vaccine, and health workers in DR Congo are stretched thin with limited beds and contact‑tracing capacity.
The World Health Organization is calling for $115 million to support the fight against the outbreak, though it has received only $45 million so far. Tedros described the funding shortfall as an investment in national security rather than charity.
Additional reporting by Swaibu Ibrahim in Kampala
