Uganda declares itself free of Ebola after last patient was discharged in mid-June

What the report says

Ugandan authorities said Tuesday that the country is now free of Ebola after its last known patient was discharged in mid-June, ABC News reported from an Associated Press story by Rodney Muhumuza. The declaration marks a significant point for Uganda, which had confirmed cases in May and linked them to a larger outbreak across the border in eastern Congo’s Ituri province.

According to the report, Uganda’s Health Ministry said the 2026 outbreak stemmed from a documented importation event. Local authorities said the first cases involved Congolese people who crossed into Uganda seeking care for an illness not yet identified as Ebola. Uganda confirmed two cases on May 15, the same day Congo declared its outbreak; one of the Ugandan cases involved a man who had already died.

The ministry said all known contacts were quarantined in institutions and completed a required 21-day monitoring period without further transmission, while strengthened surveillance found no unexplained community spread. The outbreak involved the Bundibugyo type of Ebola virus, for which the ABC/AP report said there is no approved vaccine or treatment.

The development comes as Congo continues to face a severe Ebola crisis. The report cited Congo’s Health Ministry as saying confirmed cases had reached 3,262, with 1,437 deaths. Uganda had imposed measures including discouraging handshakes, postponing a major religious gathering near Kampala and suspending public transport and flights between Uganda and Congo. Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids or contaminated materials, and contact tracing and isolation are central to containment.