Africa CDC has praised Uganda for successfully containing its latest Ebola outbreak, crediting strong leadership and coordinated public health efforts….reports Asian Lite News Desk
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has praised Uganda for successfully containing its latest Ebola outbreak, while urging continued vigilance to prevent future transmission as neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) battles its largest-ever Ebola epidemic.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya made the remarks on Monday after co-chairing a meeting in Kampala with World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Yakub Janabi and officials from Uganda’s Ministry of Health.
“We commended Uganda for successfully containing the Ebola outbreak through strong national leadership and coordinated action,” Kaseya wrote on social media platform X.
“This progress must be protected. Sustained preparedness, vigilant surveillance, and strong cross-border coordination remain essential to prevent further transmission and strengthen health security across the region,” he added.
Uganda officially declared the end of its Ebola outbreak on July 28, bringing an end to months of response efforts.
The declaration came before the completion of the WHO’s standard 42-day monitoring period following the discharge of the country’s last Ebola patient. Uganda discharged its final patient on July 16 after the individual tested negative for the virus.
Health authorities have continued surveillance measures despite the declaration, with regional agencies stressing the importance of maintaining preparedness against future outbreaks.
The warning comes as the WHO reported that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the largest ever recorded in the country, overtaking the 2018-2020 epidemic.
According to the WHO’s latest disease outbreak report, the DRC had recorded 3,605 confirmed Ebola cases caused by the Bundibugyo virus as of Thursday, including 1,587 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 44 per cent.
The previous largest Ebola outbreak in the country, which affected eastern DRC between 2018 and 2020, resulted in 3,317 confirmed cases.
The current outbreak, initially confined to the Mongbwalu health zone in Ituri province, has expanded significantly over the past two months and now affects 49 health zones across five provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo.
The outbreak has also had a significant impact on frontline medical staff. The WHO said 151 health workers have been infected, with 44 deaths reported, highlighting persistent weaknesses in infection prevention and control measures at healthcare facilities.
Regional health authorities continue to emphasise cross-border cooperation and surveillance as essential measures to prevent the virus from spreading further across East and Central Africa.
