Uganda Declared Ebola-Free After Successful Containment of 2026 Outbreak

By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1339 EAT on Tuesday 29 July 2026

KAMPALA – Uganda has officially been declared Ebola-free, Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi has announced, marking the end of the country’s 2026 Ebola outbreak following months of intensive surveillance and response efforts.

The declaration comes after the last Ugandan patient infected with the Ebola virus was discharged on 16 June 2026. Health authorities have since completed extensive monitoring and confirmed that no new infections have been detected.

According to the Ministry of Health, the 2026 outbreak differed significantly from previous Ebola outbreaks that informed the standard 42-day waiting period before declaring an outbreak over. Officials said the latest outbreak resulted from a fully documented importation event, enabling health teams to trace and contain the virus more effectively.

Authorities confirmed that the source of infection was identified, the route through which the virus entered the country was established, and all confirmed cases were epidemiologically linked. Transmission chains were fully reconstructed, while every identified contact was placed under institutional quarantine and successfully completed the mandatory 21-day monitoring period without developing the disease.

The Ministry of Health also reported that enhanced nationwide surveillance has found no evidence of unexplained community transmission, reinforcing confidence that the outbreak has been successfully contained.

The declaration marks another milestone in Uganda’s public health response, highlighting the country’s surveillance capacity, rapid case investigation, contact tracing, and coordinated efforts by health workers and partners to prevent further spread of the virus.

Health officials have, however, urged the public and healthcare workers to remain vigilant and continue observing disease surveillance measures to ensure any future public health threats are detected and contained promptly.

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