Uganda has largely contained its Ebola outbreak, nearly two months after the epidemic was declared on 15 May 2025 following the importation of cases from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a senior government health official confirmed on 6 July. The announcement marks a significant turning point in Kampala's public health response and opens the door to lifting Ebola-related travel restrictions imposed by several countries.

Official Assessment

Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary at Uganda's Ministry of Health, stated in a post on social media platform X that the outbreak had been contained through a three-pronged strategy: treatment of all imported confirmed cases and those they subsequently infected, rigorous contact tracing and quarantine, and the provision of required supportive care. She also noted that the Ministry had implemented preventive measures specifically targeting cross-border spread from eastern Congo, the epicentre of the ongoing regional outbreak.

Case Count and Current Status

According to the Ministry of Health, Uganda had recorded 20 cumulative confirmed Ebola cases as of 5 July, since the outbreak was declared. Of these, 15 were imported cases from Congo and five were locally transmitted. As of the same date, 16 patients have recovered, two remain hospitalised, and two have died. The relatively low fatality count is attributed to early detection and prompt clinical intervention.

The Road to Ebola-Free Status

The Ministry clarified that the formal 42-day countdown to declaring Uganda Ebola-free will commence only after the last confirmed patient is no longer capable of transmitting the virus. If no new cases are confirmed during that period, the outbreak will be officially declared over. This protocol follows established World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for Ebola outbreak closure.

Cross-Border Response with Congo

Earlier on the same day, Atwine disclosed that a large team of Ugandan medical personnel, along with two mobile laboratories and logistical support, had been dispatched to Congo to bolster that country's Ebola response. 'This joint Uganda-Congo initiative aims to strengthen the cross-border Ebola response by reducing the movement of Ebola patients into Uganda seeking care, curbing cross-border transmission, and ending the outbreak sooner,' she said. This collaborative deployment underscores the regional dimension of the crisis — one that cannot be resolved by any single country acting alone.

Travel Restrictions and Diplomatic Outreach

Uganda has begun formal diplomatic engagement with countries that imposed Ebola-related travel restrictions, seeking to have those measures lifted in light of the containment progress. The lifting of such restrictions would have economic and logistical significance for Uganda, which relies on cross-border trade and regional tourism. Notably, this is a pattern seen in past outbreaks — countries often struggle to shed travel bans even after demonstrating effective containment, making early diplomatic outreach critical.