The United States has given Uganda doses of an experimental Ebola treatment as the country strengthens preparations against possible new infections from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a major Bundibugyo virus outbreak continues to spread.
The treatment, known as MBP134, was handed over to the Ministry of Health on Thursday, with Minister of State for Health in charge of Primary Health Care Dr Charles Ayume receiving the consignment on behalf of the government.
The donation comes after Uganda brought its own 2026 Bundibugyo virus outbreak under control but continues to face the risk of imported infections because of the ongoing outbreak in neighbouring DRC.
Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths during its outbreak. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15 of the cases were imported while the remaining five were secondary infections among contacts and health workers.
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The end of Uganda's outbreak has therefore not removed the threat, particularly because of the movement of people across the Uganda-DRC border.
The DRC outbreak, which was declared in May, has continued to expand. According to the latest WHO situation report available before Thursday's handover, 5,584 confirmed cases and 2,680 deaths had been reported as of August 23.
The outbreak has spread across six provinces and dozens of health zones, with sustained transmission reported in several areas.
WHO has described the outbreak as the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded and warned that population movement and cross-border travel could facilitate further international spread.
Uganda shares a long and busy border with DRC, making early detection and preparedness important even after local transmission has been interrupted.
MBP134 is a monoclonal antibody treatment candidate developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical with support from the United States Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins designed to target specific viruses and help the immune system fight infection. Unlike a vaccine, which is intended to prepare the body's immune system before infection, an antibody treatment is given after exposure or infection.
However, MBP134 is not an approved Ebola cure.
US authorities classify it as an investigational treatment. It has completed a Phase 1 clinical safety study, while laboratory and pre-clinical studies have shown activity against several Ebola virus species, including Bundibugyo virus.
There are currently no US-approved treatments or vaccines specifically for Bundibugyo Ebola.
The United States has supported the availability of MBP134 for use in the current outbreak response, while doses are also being used in research, including clinical evaluation against Bundibugyo virus.
For Uganda, the significance of the donation is therefore not that it now has a proven cure for Ebola, but that health authorities could have an experimental treatment available more quickly if another case is detected.
The US Embassy said the availability of MBP134 could allow Ugandan health authorities to access the investigational treatment much sooner if Ebola is reintroduced into the country.
US Chargé d'Affaires Mikael Cleverley said the assistance was intended to help Uganda respond rapidly to any new threat.
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"As Ebola continues to spread in the DRC, the United States is making sure Uganda is ready to act fast," Cleverley said.
He said the support formed part of wider efforts to strengthen health security, adding that containing outbreaks before they cross borders also helps protect other countries, including the United States.
The donation builds on earlier US support to Uganda during the country's Sudan virus outbreak in 2025.
For Uganda, the continuing challenge is to maintain vigilance despite having successfully ended its own outbreak.
The presence of an investigational treatment adds another layer to the country's preparedness, but it does not replace the measures that remain central to Ebola control, including early detection, rapid isolation, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and cross-border surveillance.
