Has Uganda Successfully Ended the Ebola Outbreak?

Mbale (Uganda), April 27 (NationPress) – Uganda has officially announced the conclusion of the Ebola Sudan Virus Disease (SVD) outbreak after successfully completing a mandatory 42-day countdown without reporting any new confirmed cases. This comes less than three months after the virus was first identified in the capital city, Kampala.

The announcement was made by Ugandan Minister of Health, Ruth Aceng, on Saturday at the Busamagga Primary School Playground, located in Mbale, one of the regions affected by the outbreak, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, a country can only be declared free of Ebola after it has gone through 42 days—equivalent to two complete 21-day incubation periods—without any new cases.

“After completing two full incubation cycles—42 days—since the last confirmed case was discharged and with no new cases reported during rigorous surveillance efforts, I hereby officially declare the current outbreak of Sudan Ebola Virus Disease in Uganda as over. Uganda is now devoid of active Ebola transmission,” Aceng stated.

The outbreak was first declared on January 30 following the death of a 32-year-old nurse due to the disease at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala.

Throughout the outbreak, Uganda reported a total of 14 cases, with 12 confirmed through laboratory testing and two classified as probable. The health authorities indicated that there were four deaths (two confirmed and two probable), while 10 individuals successfully recovered from the infection. Additionally, 534 contacts were monitored closely during this period.

In a statement from the WHO, Chikwe Ihekweazu, acting regional director for Africa, highlighted that Uganda’s experience in managing health crises facilitated a rapid and effective response to the outbreak.

“This outbreak presented new challenges, affecting both urban and rural communities across the nation and occurring amid significant global funding limitations,” Ihekweazu commented.

He added, “The response showcased Uganda's enduring leadership in addressing public health emergencies. The WHO is immensely proud to have supported these efforts throughout.”

The outbreak was traced back to the Sudan Ebola virus subtype, which is one of six species of the Ebola virus known to cause severe and often fatal illnesses in humans and primates.

Currently, there are no approved treatments or vaccines for the Sudan strain of Ebola. However, the WHO notes that early supportive care can significantly lower mortality rates. Although no licensed vaccines exist against this strain, candidate vaccines are undergoing clinical trials. Shortly after declaring the outbreak, Uganda initiated the first randomized clinical trial for vaccine efficacy using a ring vaccination approach.

The WHO contributed 2,160 doses of the Ebola trial vaccine to Uganda to test its effectiveness against SVD, marking the eighth outbreak of this deadly disease in the nation.

Kasonde Mwinga, WHO representative in Uganda, stated, “Uganda's leadership and resilience were pivotal in controlling this outbreak.”

“From day one, the WHO collaborated closely with the Ministry of Health, providing expertise, essential supplies, and ensuring thorough investigations of every suspected case. The Ugandan people have exhibited remarkable determination,” she added.

Despite the official end of the outbreak, the Ministry of Health, with ongoing support from global health organizations and partners, will continue to invest in surveillance, care for survivors, and preparedness to maintain safety in Uganda.