Uganda has officially ended its latest Ebola outbreak. Health officials made the announcement Saturday in Mbale city, after going 42 days without a new case. The outbreak began on January 30 when a 32-year-old nurse died at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala.
At the event, Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng confirmed that the last patient had been discharged on March 14, starting the countdown to today’s announcement. Officials from the World Health Organization and UNICEF attended the ceremony.
The Health Ministry shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Good news! The current Ebola Sudan Virus Disease outbreak has officially come to an end.” UNICEF Uganda also posted, praising the efforts of health workers, communities, and partners.
According to Dr. Henry Kyobe, Uganda’s incident commander for outbreaks, the country recorded 14 cases and 4 deaths. Two patients died before they could receive medical care.
This was Uganda’s ninth Ebola outbreak since 2000. The latest one was caused by the Sudan strain, which currently has no approved vaccine. Ebola is common in Uganda because the country’s tropical forests can harbor the virus. Uganda also borders the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country that has faced multiple large outbreaks.
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The outbreak started in Kampala, a city of four million people and a major hub linking to Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan. Health experts say Uganda’s experience fighting Ebola helped bring this outbreak under control faster.
Ebola spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissues. Symptoms include headache, muscle pain, vomiting blood, and bleeding.
