Ebola under control, Uganda assures WHO
By Our reporter
ENTEBBE – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has assured the World Health Organization (WHO) of Uganda’s continued commitment and preparedness to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak, emphasizing the importance of regional cooperation and swift public health interventions to prevent the spread of the disease.
The President made the remarks on Monday, June 8th, 2026 during a meeting with the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at State House Entebbe. The meeting was also attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Health and the WHO Uganda Country Office.
President Museveni informed the WHO delegation that Uganda remains vigilant and has put in place robust measures to contain the outbreak within its borders while also working closely with neighboring countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where some of the cases have originated.
The President revealed that he had already held productive discussions with the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, H.E. Félix Tshisekedi, on strengthening collaboration between the two countries to limit the cross-border spread of Ebola.
“We have been engaging our counterparts in the DRC to ensure that we work together in addressing this challenge,” President Museveni noted.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, briefed the meeting on the current status of the outbreak, stating that Uganda is presently managing nineteen confirmed Ebola cases.
According to Dr. Atwine, fourteen of the nineteen cases involve members of the same family who entered Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She, however, reported encouraging progress in the containment efforts, noting that no new Ebola case had been registered in the previous three days.
“Our surveillance and response teams remain fully engaged. We continue to monitor contacts, strengthen screening measures, and ensure that all suspected cases are promptly identified and managed,” Dr. Atwine said.
She further disclosed that the Ministry of Health had identified four strategic locations within the Democratic Republic of Congo, close to the Uganda-DRC border, where medical camps would be established to support local health authorities in managing Ebola cases.
The proposed treatment and response centers are intended to serve communities near the border and reduce the number of Ebola patients crossing into Uganda in search of treatment.
Dr. Atwine explained that many Congolese patients have increasingly sought treatment in Uganda due to the confidence they have developed in Uganda’s ability to effectively manage epidemics and public health emergencies.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, highlighted the significance of the initiative, saying it would strengthen cross-border disease control efforts and help address the outbreak closer to its source.
Dr. Baryomunsi noted that establishing treatment facilities within the DRC would significantly reduce cross-border movement of Ebola patients while supporting local response efforts.
President Museveni welcomed the proposal and advised that the treatment centers be established as close to the border as possible to effectively serve vulnerable populations.
CAPTION: President Yoweri Musevenu, right, during a meeting with World Health Organization officials at State House Entebbe, Monday, June 8th, 2026. (PPU photo).
“It should be near the border, not far inside the DRC, because we are targeting those who are trying to escape and seek treatment elsewhere,” the President advised.
The President also highlighted the difficult but necessary decision by the government to suspend this year’s Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations at Namugongo, one of the country’s largest annual religious gatherings.
The annual event typically attracts more than three million pilgrims and visitors from Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, West Africa, and other parts of the world.
President Museveni said suspending the celebrations was an important public health measure aimed at preventing a possible surge in infections.
Dr. Tedros commended Uganda for taking decisive action, describing the suspension of the Martyrs Day celebrations as a courageous and responsible decision.
“Thank you for stopping the Martyrs Day celebrations. It was going to be a super-spreader event,” Dr. Tedros told President Museveni.
The WHO Director-General praised Uganda’s leadership and the country’s proven capacity to respond effectively to public health emergencies, citing its experience in handling previous Ebola outbreaks and other infectious diseases.
He pledged the World Health Organization’s continued support through financial resources, logistics, technical expertise, and additional personnel to strengthen Uganda’s response efforts.
Dr. Tedros further welcomed Uganda’s innovative approach of extending support beyond its borders by establishing treatment facilities near affected communities in the DRC.
He also encouraged President Museveni to continue engaging President Tshisekedi and other regional leaders in coordinated efforts to address the outbreak and prevent its spread across the region.
The meeting underscored the strong partnership between Uganda and the World Health Organization in safeguarding public health and demonstrated a shared commitment to strengthening regional preparedness, surveillance, and response mechanisms against Ebola.
Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak update
Meanwhile, The Bundibugyo Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has reached 608 confirmed cases and 102 deaths, representing a case fatality ratio of 16.7 per cent.
According to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), transmission is concentrated in the DRC, particularly in Ituri Province, which accounts for 560 cases, or 94.6 per cent of the country’s total caseload.
Uganda has reported 19 cumulative cases and no new confirmed cases.
“In the DRC, 45 new confirmed cases were reported in the past 24 hours, all in Ituri, with the highest numbers in Mongbwalu, Rwampara and Bunia. The epidemic curve shows intense transmission, with a peak in late May. Contact tracing is uneven, with follow-up rates ranging from 78 per cent in Bunia to 0 per cent in some health zones, weakening containment efforts,” reads a press statement issued June 8th, 2026.
It adds, “The response is facing significant operational constraints. Health facilities in several affected areas are in poor condition and often lack potable water, incinerators, personal protective equipment and decontamination supplies.
Poor roads, insecurity and shortages of ambulances and hearses are slowing access and response operations.”
It further explains, “Staffing pressures are also growing, with some health workers unpaid or without incentives. Community trust is a critical challenge. Misinformation and a viral audio message following the death of a doctor have fuelled fear and distrust of treatment centres.”
“There have also been reports of resistance to hygiene measures and decontamination in some communities, as well as incidents of mob violence. At points of entry, more than 23,000 travellers were screened in Ituri in the last 24 hours, and more than 14,000 were screened in Uganda,” it reads.
Uganda has temporarily closed non-essential travel with the DRC for four weeks. Despite Africa CDC and WHO guidance, 18 countries globally have introduced travel restrictions or screening measures.
The immediate priorities are to strengthen community engagement and risk communication, fast-track multidisciplinary rapid response teams to high-risk areas, close infection prevention and safe burial gaps, improve surveillance and contact follow-up, and secure safe access for medical teams in insecure areas.
