WHO defends Uganda’s early declaration of end to Ebola outbreak

Kampala, August 5, 2026 - Dr Janabi at a press conference The World Health Organisation (WHO) has defended Uganda’s decision to declare the end of its Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak before completing the conventional 42-day waiting period, saying the country remained focused on the primary objective of halting transmission and protecting public health. Uganda discharged its last confirmed Ebola patient from the National Isolation and Treatment Centre in Mulago on July 16, 2026, and officially declared the outbreak over on July 28, less than two weeks later.

The move sparked debate, with some observers questioning why the country did not wait the standard 42 days after the last confirmed case before making the declaration. Responding to journalists on Tuesday, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, said Uganda’s actions should be judged by the effectiveness of its response rather than strict adherence to procedural timelines.

Dr Janabi, who is in Uganda together with a delegation from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) led by its Director-General, Dr Jean Kaseya, said that although Uganda had declared its outbreak over, the wider regional response was far from complete. He noted that Uganda remains actively involved in efforts to contain the outbreak in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where, by Monday, authorities had confirmed 3,605 cases and 1,587 deaths.

Although Uganda and the DRC declared their outbreaks on the same day in May, Uganda registered only 20 confirmed cases, 15 of which were imported infections involving Congolese nationals who had crossed into Uganda seeking medical care.