Uganda: Uganda is Ebola-Free - Health Minister

What the report says

AllAfrica reports that Uganda’s Ministry of Health has declared the country free of Ebola after the end of its 2026 outbreak. Health Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi announced the decision at a media briefing on Tuesday, saying the outbreak had officially ended after the required follow-up period was completed.

According to the ministry account cited by AllAfrica, the 42-day monitoring window began after the last Ugandan national with a locally transmitted infection was discharged on 16 June 2026. Uganda had first announced the outbreak on 15 May 2026 after imported cases from the Democratic Republic of Congo were confirmed.

By the close of the outbreak, Uganda had recorded 20 confirmed Ebola cases, AllAfrica reported. Eighteen patients recovered and two died. The report said 15 of the confirmed infections were imported from DR Congo, while the remaining cases included local transmission inside Uganda.

The declaration matters because Ebola outbreaks require intensive surveillance, isolation, contact tracing and public communication to prevent wider spread. AllAfrica quoted Baryomunsi as saying the 42-day benchmark remains an important global safeguard, while also noting that in outbreaks tied to well-characterised imported events, authorities may weigh epidemiological evidence alongside a fixed waiting period. The article did not report any new restrictions or follow-up measures after the declaration.