The country must wait 42 days without a new case before it can be declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) despite the discharge of the last patient from the Ebola Treatment Unit.
Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of Health, made the revelation while presenting an update on the Ebola Bundibugyo Virus outbreak in Uganda to Parliament on Thursday, 16 July 2026.
“There are no new confirmed cases in the last 21 days, this is the strongest available epidemiological signal that local human-to-human transmission has been interrupted,” said Baryomunsi at the sitting chaired by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth.
He clarified that whereas there are no new registered cases at the treatment unit based at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala City, Uganda cannot be declared Ebola-free, according to WHO public health guidelines.
“WHO guidelines require 42 days without a new confirmed case – two full incubation periods – before an outbreak can be declared over. We are now in that critical final stretch and the countdown has started today,” Baryomunsi said.
He said that since the virus was first declared in Uganda on 15 May, 2026, 20 cases were recorded, out of which 15 were imported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and two of these died.
“The response system has been fairly effective, even those who died, it is because they presented late. I can safely say we have done fairly well, courtesy of the experience we have gathered over the years,” he said.
Whilst Uganda has recorded success in combating the epidemic, Baryomunsi said that collaborative measures with Congo continue.
“Uganda will support the Congolese government by establishing Ebola treatment centres and President Yoweri Museveni has sanctioned four of them. Subsequently, over 50 specialists have been sent from Uganda to DRC,” said Baryomunsi.
He added that joint surveillance is being conducted and laboratories have been established in border points in Arua and Kasese districts.
“We have intensified awareness campaigns and interventions in border communities including disallowing community markets. Borders with DRC will stay closed and a joint taskforce will meet and find a way forward,” Baryomunsi added.
He also said that government is engaging countries that imposed travel restrictions on Ugandans because of the Ebola virus.
The Shadow Minister of Health, Hon. Sheilah Amaniyo (NUP, Mukono Municipality) said that whereas the Ministry of Health managed to combat the virus, they did not handle the communication well, thereby costing the country its image.
“It was not a local outbreak but due to lack of clarity in public communication, the world was made to believe that the epidemic was worse than it was. The international world believed the country was a hot zone, leading to tourists canceling their visits,” said Amaniyo.
Hon. Julius Rude the Chairperson of the Committee on Health, applauded government’s interventions in fighting the virus.
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