Uganda has officially been declared free of Ebola after completing 42 consecutive days without recording a new confirmed case, marking the end of the country's Bundibugyo virus outbreak.
The declaration on Thursday, August 27, follows the discharge of Uganda's last Ebola patient on July 16 after testing negative for the virus twice. The discharge triggered the 42-day countdown required before an outbreak can be declared over.
The 42-day period is equivalent to twice the maximum incubation period of Bundibugyo virus disease and is the internationally recognised benchmark for confirming that transmission linked to an outbreak has ended.
Uganda declared the outbreak on May 15, 2026, after detecting cases linked to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
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A total of 20 confirmed cases were recorded in Uganda, including 15 imported cases and five locally acquired infections among contacts and health workers linked to the imported cases. Eighteen patients recovered while two died.
More than 800 contacts were identified and monitored during the response, with health authorities maintaining surveillance after the last patient was discharged.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Uganda's response, saying the country had demonstrated that decisive action can bring Ebola outbreaks under control.
He said Uganda's experience highlighted the importance of preparedness, surveillance, early detection and effective management of points of entry in responding to infectious disease threats.
The response involved case detection and laboratory confirmation, contact tracing, isolation and treatment, infection prevention and control, community engagement and strengthened surveillance.
Surveillance was also maintained at health facilities and points of entry to detect and respond quickly to any imported infections.
Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya described the declaration as a victory for Uganda and an important lesson for the continent.
"Uganda has shown that Ebola can be stopped when leadership acts decisively, communities are trusted and public health systems reach people quickly," Kaseya said.
However, he warned that the achievement must be protected because the Ebola outbreak in neighbouring DRC remains active.
"We will only be secure when transmission is stopped everywhere," he said.
Uganda's declaration comes as the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in DRC continues to record sustained transmission. WHO's latest updates show that the DRC outbreak remains active, with the virus continuing to pose a risk of cross-border spread.
Uganda and DRC have extensive social and economic links, including movement of people and goods across their shared border, leaving Uganda vulnerable to imported infections.
WHO has therefore urged countries in the region to maintain surveillance, testing and rapid response capacity rather than impose broad travel restrictions.
The agency does not recommend suspending flights, closing borders or denying entry to travellers from Ebola-affected countries. Instead, countries are encouraged to maintain open borders and trade while putting in place measures that allow suspected cases to be identified and managed quickly.
For Uganda, the end of the outbreak does not mean an end to preparedness.
WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi said the lasting achievement should be stronger health systems capable of protecting communities from future outbreaks.
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"Ending an Ebola outbreak is an important milestone, but the lasting achievement is a stronger ability to protect people from future health threats," Janabi said.
WHO and Africa CDC have continued working with Uganda and DRC under a joint continental preparedness and response framework aimed at strengthening surveillance and response capacity across the region.
The organisations are calling for continued disease surveillance and testing, rapid investigation of alerts, strong infection prevention and control in health facilities and communities, sustained community engagement and close coordination across borders.
For Uganda, the 42-day countdown has now ended.
But with Ebola still circulating in the region, health authorities say the focus must now shift from ending the outbreak to maintaining the systems that enabled Uganda to stop transmission and respond quickly to any future imported case.
