Uganda Now Exports Ebola Expertise to DRC, Says Ayume

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Uganda says it has developed enough Ebola response capacity to assist neighbouring countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dr Charles Ayume, the Minister of State for Primary Health Care, said Ugandan doctors and health workers are now running two Ebola treatment centres in the DRC, reflecting a shift from responding only to outbreaks at home to helping contain the disease regionally.

Ayume made the remarks after the Ministry of Health declared the end of Uganda’s 2026 Ebola outbreak. According to the report, he said repeated outbreaks have helped Uganda refine emergency systems, treatment procedures and surveillance practices. He pointed to lessons from nine Ebola outbreaks and said Uganda’s response protocols are now being noted by international public health experts.

The minister also said public awareness has improved since the 2001 outbreak, with communities more willing to alert health authorities about suspected cases, even when reports later prove inaccurate. He cited the Uganda Virus Research Institute’s role in vaccine-related research and said Parliament provided an initial Shs5 billion for the latest response, allowing teams to begin work without waiting for outside financing.

Uganda declared the outbreak over after the required 42-day monitoring period passed without new infections, Nile Post reported. Ayume said essential health services continued during the response, including maternal and child health, malaria services and other programmes. Health authorities are still maintaining surveillance, especially near the DRC border, as Ebola remains a recurring public health threat in the region.