Uganda Declares End to Latest Ebola Outbreak

Uganda has officially declared an end to its latest Ebola outbreak after completing the World Health Organization's required 42-day monitoring period without recording any new infections. Health authorities said the milestone marks the successful containment of the outbreak, which infected 20 people and claimed two lives.

Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced that the country had met all the conditions for declaring the outbreak over, following the discharge of the last Ebola patient and six weeks of intensified surveillance. Officials credited the achievement to swift public health interventions, effective contact tracing and close collaboration between the government, health workers and international partners.

The outbreak was linked to neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo, where a much larger Ebola epidemic is still ongoing. Ugandan authorities said strict border surveillance and rapid response measures helped prevent widespread community transmission despite the continued risk of imported cases.

Although the country is now Ebola-free, health officials stressed that surveillance activities will continue because of the ongoing outbreak in the DRC. They urged healthcare workers and the public to remain vigilant and report any suspected cases promptly to prevent a resurgence of the virus.

Uganda has faced several Ebola outbreaks over the years and has developed one of Africa's strongest outbreak response systems. Authorities say the experience gained from previous epidemics played a key role in containing the latest outbreak before it spread widely.