By Gift Briton
Uganda has announced that its most recent Ebola outbreak has ended after achieving 42 successive days with no new reported cases, meeting the criteria set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
This marked Uganda's second Ebola outbreak within three years. It was officially reported on September 30. th In January 2025, within Kampala, there were reports of an outbreak where 14 individuals contracted the disease and unfortunately, four fatalities resulted from it. Out of those affected, ten made full recoveries. Additionally, health authorities kept a close watch on 534 contacts who had interacted with both confirmed and probable cases. By the 15th, the final patient received clearance for discharge. th March 2025.
The WHO acknowledges Uganda's achievements due to the rapid and organized actions taken by the Health Ministry. This included swiftly activating nationwide emergency protocols, sending specialist teams to impacted regions, strengthening surveillance of diseases, and setting up specific treatment centers.
Moreover, additional health measures along the borders were implemented to stop the spread across regions, especially focusing on Kampala and key entry points. Supported by WHO and multiple collaborators, this thorough strategy provided a robust structure that successfully controlled and eradicated the epidemic.
The global initiative was similarly remarkable. The World Health Organization enlisted more than 130 specialists tasked with monitoring cases, tracing contacts, conducting lab analyses, and overseeing patient treatment. These teams examined over 1,500 specimens under stringent safety measures, with the WHO supplying gear, instruction, and quality assurance.
The international public health organization helped dispatch Emergency Medical Teams along with experts in anthropology to lessen stigma, foster trust, and collaborate with impacted populations, playing a crucial role in encouraging behavioral shifts.
This epidemic presented novel challenges to us," stated Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa. "It affected both urban and rural areas nationwide amidst considerable limitations in international financial support." He added, "Our response highlighted Uganda's enduring commitment to managing public health crises. We at the WHO feel deeply honored to have assisted throughout this process." "Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, acting director-general of WHO African region, mentioned: 'This crisis posed unprecedented difficulties. It impacted cities as well as villages all over our nation amid severe worldwide budgetary restrictions.' Moreover, he noted, 'Uganda displayed commendable leadership once again when dealing with such situations. The World Health Organization takes great pride in having backed their initiatives from start to finish.'
The Ebola variant that was brought under control in Uganda belongs to the Sudan virus disease (SVD) type. This particular strain causes a serious, frequently lethal sickness in both humans and non-human primates. During previous occurrences, the SVD resulted in fatalities among forty percent of those affected.
Despite the absence of licensed countermeasures against this species of Ebola, candidate vaccines are in various phases of clinical trials. Within four days of the government’s declaration of the outbreak, a randomized clinical trial for vaccine safety and efficacy using the ring vaccination approach was launched. In addition, the administration of Remdesivir treatment under the Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered and Experimental Interventions (MEURI) protocol was initiated.
Uganda's leadership and determination played a key role in controlling this outbreak," stated Dr Kasonde Mwingi, the WHO Representative in Uganda. "Since the beginning, WHO collaborated closely with the Ministry of Health, offering specialized knowledge, supplying critical materials, and making sure each potential case was examined. Ugandan citizens demonstrated remarkable fortitude.
Government workers, along with ongoing assistance from collaborators, will keep up monitoring efforts, provide support for survivors, and enhance readiness to guarantee Uganda’s safety.