Uganda has officially declared the end of its latest Ebola outbreak, which began three months ago in the capital, Kampala. The health ministry announced the milestone on Saturday, confirming that 42 days had passed without a new case since the last confirmed patient was discharged.
The outbreak, caused by the Sudan strain of the virus, was first reported on January 30 after a male nurse’s death from the infection. The country had recorded at least ten cases and two deaths by early March.
While Uganda has faced frequent Ebola outbreaks due to its proximity to tropical forests, which are natural reservoirs for the virus, this was the ninth outbreak since the first case in 2000. The Sudan strain, which has no approved vaccine, presented additional challenges for containment.
Uganda’s experience in managing Ebola has been crucial in quickly controlling the outbreak. The country shares borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has suffered numerous outbreaks, including one from 2018-2020 that claimed nearly 2,300 lives.
