Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have climbed to 363, including 62 deaths, according to figures released by the DRC government, while Uganda on Thursday, 4 June reported four patient recoveries. The figures were disclosed at an online press briefing convened by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, bringing together senior WHO officials and government representatives from the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan.

Outbreak Background

The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, was officially declared in both the DRC and Uganda on 15 May. The WHO subsequently designated it a public health emergency of international concern — one of its highest alert classifications. Six patients have been successfully treated and discharged in the DRC, in addition to the recoveries recorded in Uganda.

Uganda's Situation and Response Capacity

Uganda's Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Diana Atwine confirmed that the country had recorded 15 Ebola cases in total — 11 imported cases and four infections among health workers who treated the first patient. 'Out of those, we have also discharged four,' she said. All patients who subsequently tested positive had already been placed in quarantine as identified contacts, enabling health authorities to monitor them before and after diagnosis.

Uganda has tracked 620 contacts, of whom 270 have completed the mandatory 21-day observation period and been cleared from follow-up. The remainder are still under active monitoring. Atwine noted that Uganda's laboratory systems, strengthened through previous outbreaks, can now return results within approximately four hours. She also stressed that Uganda had never exported an Ebola case beyond its borders during past outbreaks.

DRC Expands Diagnostic Capacity

DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba said expanded diagnostic capacity was helping authorities generate more accurate case counts and respond faster in affected areas. 'What is important now is to have a good diagnosis,' he said, adding that testing had moved closer to the epicentre, enabling suspected cases to be confirmed more rapidly. The WHO said the DRC was decentralising its response to the health-zone level, reinforcing local coordination mechanisms, rapid response teams, and alert systems.

WHO Warns Against Travel Bans and Misinformation

WHO Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Janabi acknowledged early setbacks but signalled improving momentum. 'The virus initially moved ahead of us. But we are catching up. We are already seeing progress,' he told the briefing. Janabi also warned that health authorities were effectively fighting 'two outbreaks' — Ebola itself and the false information surrounding the disease.

He criticised broad travel restrictions and border closures, stating plainly: 'Ebola is not an airborne disease. Blanket travel bans do not stop Ebola.' He warned that such measures could disrupt supply chains, weaken surveillance, and discourage transparency. Instead, he urged governments to strengthen screening at official border crossings rather than push travellers toward informal routes where health checks are harder to enforce.

Janabi highlighted that the first case identified in Uganda had originated in the DRC, with the patient crossing the border to seek care at a nearer health facility — underscoring the outbreak's cross-border character. 'This outbreak reminds us that regional integration is not an option. It is essential,' he said. With decentralisation efforts under way and contact tracing expanding, health authorities are expected to issue updated case counts in the coming days.