Ebola virus in Uganda contained, Health Ministry says

Uganda has contained the spread of Ebola nearly two months after the outbreak was declared following the importation of cases from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a senior health official said on Sunday.

Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, said in a post on social media platform X that the outbreak had been contained through the treatment of all imported confirmed cases and those they infected, the tracing and quarantine of contacts, and the provision of the required supportive care.

The ministry has also implemented preventive measures to curb the spread of the disease from eastern DRC, the epicentre of the ongoing outbreak, said Atwine.

She added that Uganda had begun engaging countries that imposed Ebola-related travel restrictions to have the measures lifted.

Earlier on Sunday, Atwine said a large team of medical personnel, two mobile laboratories and logistical support from Uganda were on their way to the DRC to support the country's Ebola response.

"This joint Uganda-DRC 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.

According to the Ministry of Health, as of July 5, Uganda had recorded 20 cumulative confirmed Ebola cases since the outbreak was declared on May 15, including 15 imported cases from the DRC and five locally transmitted cases. Of the total, 16 patients have recovered, two remain hospitalised and two have died.

The ministry said the 42-day countdown to declaring the country Ebola-free will begin only after the last confirmed patient is no longer capable of transmitting the virus. If no new cases are confirmed during the 42-day period, the outbreak will be declared over.