Uganda has officially been declared free of Ebola after containing its latest outbreak, which infected 20 people and resulted in two deaths, the country’s Minister of Health announced on Tuesday.
The declaration marks the end of the latest episode of the deadly viral haemorrhagic disease in the East African nation, which has experienced several Ebola outbreaks since its first recorded epidemic in 2000.
Health authorities said Uganda has strengthened its capacity to respond to Ebola over the years, enabling officials to swiftly contain outbreaks and minimise community transmission.
According to officials, 15 of the confirmed infections recorded during the latest outbreak, declared in mid-May, were linked to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where the epidemic has remained severe, with more than 3,000 confirmed cases.
The last Ebola patient in Uganda, a Congolese national, was discharged from hospital on June 22.
Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi said the country met the conditions for being declared Ebola-free after completing the required 42-day surveillance period, which began following the discharge of the last Ugandan national infected through local transmission on June 16, 2026.
He disclosed that 20 confirmed cases were recorded during the outbreak, with 18 patients recovering and leaving hospital, while two others died from the disease. The two fatalities were citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Throughout this period, the Ministry of Health maintained intensive surveillance nationwide, and no new Ebola cases have been detected,” Baryomunsi said.
Authorities noted that Uganda remains susceptible to Ebola outbreaks because of its extensive tropical forests, which provide habitat for fruit bats, the natural hosts of the virus.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids or tissues of infected individuals. Common symptoms include severe headache, muscle pain, vomiting blood and bleeding.
