Uganda declares itself free of Ebola as Congo continues to struggle with it

July 29, 2026 - 12:25

Uganda has officially declared itself free of the Ebola virus, marking the end of a health crisis that first emerged in the country in September. The announcement came from the Ugandan Ministry of Health after a 42-day period passed with no new infections. This timeframe, which represents two full incubation cycles of the virus, is the standard benchmark for declaring an outbreak over.

From the beginning, Ugandan health authorities maintained that all confirmed cases in the country were directly linked to the larger, ongoing outbreak in eastern Congo. Specifically, the cases were traced to the remote province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which shares a long and porous border with Uganda. The first patients in Uganda were a family that had traveled from Congo to seek medical treatment or attend a funeral, bringing the virus with them.

During the outbreak, Uganda reported a total of 11 confirmed cases, including six deaths. The swift response from health workers, combined with the rapid deployment of a trial vaccine, helped contain the spread. However, the situation in Congo remains far more dire. That country continues to battle one of the worst Ebola outbreaks in its history, with hundreds of cases and deaths reported since August. The World Health Organization has cited community mistrust, armed conflict, and difficult terrain as major obstacles to containing the virus there. While Uganda celebrates its success, health officials warn that the risk of cross-border transmission remains high as long as the virus circulates in Congo.