Uganda shares an 877-kilometre border with the DRC, which is battling the deadliest Ebola outbreak in its history.
Uganda was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday after 42 days without a new case.
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"Uganda has reached 42 days since the last confirmed imported Ebola case was discharged on 16 July 2026, with no documented onward transmission associated with the case, marking an end to the outbreak," the WHO posted on X.
WHO praised the government, health workers and their partners for “the strong measures taken to contain the outbreak and prevent wider spread”.
The east African country recorded a total of 20 Ebola cases, almost all people who had travelled from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and two deaths.
"We had assessed the risk, we had assessed the whole chain of transmission and the dynamics of importation of the virus in the country, and we knew that we were free from Ebola,” Diana Atwine, the permanent secretary for Uganda’s Health Ministry, told national broadcaster NTV,as quoted by Al Jazeera.
“However, WHO had to wait because that’s the process. That’s the guideline.”
Atwine also urged countries that imposed travel restrictions on Uganda during the outbreak to lift them.
“Unless they have other reasons, they should definitely lift the restrictions off the country, and Ugandans should be free to travel to any country,” she said.
Uganda has announced plans to open two more Ebola treatment centres in the DRC, bringing the total to four.
Since the outbreak was declared on 15 May, more than 5,600 cases have been confirmed in the DRC, including over 2,700 deaths. It is considered the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record.
