Uganda has officially declared the end of its Ebola outbreak following a mandatory 42-day monitoring period that began after the discharge of the last locally transmitted patient on June 16, 2026. Ugandan Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced the successful completion of this period on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, stating that "the Ministry of Health maintained intensive surveillance nationwide, and no new Ebola cases have been detected."

Despite this positive development in Uganda, the Ebola outbreak continues to escalate in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). According to the Congolese Ministry of Health, the DRC has recorded at least 3,262 infections and 1,437 deaths since mid-May 2026. This outbreak is nearly as severe as the 2018-2020 epidemic, the largest ever recorded in the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the current Ebola outbreak as the fastest spreading ever recorded, warning that the true scale could be two to four times larger than reported figures. The virus strain involved in the DRC outbreak is Bundibugyo, the rarest of the four Ebola variants known to affect humans, and currently, there are no approved vaccines or treatments for this strain.

Of the 20 confirmed Ebola cases in Uganda, 18 patients were discharged, while two deaths were reported, both of whom were from the DRC. In a subsequent social media statement, Minister Baryomunsi urged Ugandans to "remain alert" and continue observing public health measures to prevent any resurgence.

Sources