Uganda declares itself Ebola-free

Uganda on Tuesday declared the end of its Ebola outbreak, saying the country is Ebola-free.

"The Ministry of Health is pleased to announce that Uganda has officially declared the end of the 2026 Ebola Disease outbreak. Uganda is Ebola-free," Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi told reporters in the capital Kampala.

The declaration came after the mandatory 42-day monitoring period ended, following the discharge of the last Ebola patient.

Health officials say there has been no new cases reported since June, when the last case was discharged from the quarantine facility.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May.

The outbreak of the viral hemorrhagic disease, originating from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, infected 20 people and killed two.

Ebola is a severe and often fatal viral disease first identified in 1976. The virus is believed to originate in wild animals, particularly bats, before spreading to humans.

The disease spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood, vomit, semen or other contaminated materials, including bedding and clothing. People become contagious once symptoms appear.

Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, intense weakness, muscle pain and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, first identified in Uganda in 2007, and has no vaccine or specific treatment.