DistantNews
Support us
Uganda declared Ebola-free, but neighboring Congo remains a concern Image: Erik Esbjörnsson
🇸🇪 Sweden /Health & Science

Uganda declared Ebola-free, but neighboring Congo remains a concern

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Uganda has officially been declared free of Ebola after meeting the 42-day post-discharge period for the last patient.
  • The country's health officials are urging other nations to lift travel restrictions, citing their effective handling of the outbreak.
  • Neighboring Congo continues to battle a severe Ebola outbreak, which is one of the largest on record, with thousands infected and deceased.

Uganda is celebrating a significant public health victory as it has been officially declared free from the Ebola virus. This milestone was achieved after 42 days, twice the maximum incubation period, passed since the last patient was discharged from care.

The final Ebola patient in Uganda, a Congolese national, was discharged from Mulago Hospital in Kampala on July 16th. Since then, the country has meticulously monitored the situation to ensure no further transmission occurred. Health officials had been confident of being Ebola-free earlier, but the World Health Organization (WHO) required the full 42-day observation period to confirm the status.

Uganda's experience with Ebola, including the discovery of the Bundibugyo variant nearly 20 years ago, has equipped it with robust protocols for managing the disease. Despite the virus crossing the border from Congo, Uganda successfully contained all cases, which were linked to individuals traveling from or having contact with people from Congo.

If they have no other reasons, then I definitely think the travel restrictions against the country should be lifted and Ugandans should be free to travel to other countries as usual.

— Diana Atwineurging the lifting of travel restrictions against Uganda

In light of this success, Uganda's government is appealing for the lifting of international travel restrictions. "If they have no other reasons, then I definitely think the travel restrictions against the country should be lifted and Ugandans should be free to travel to other countries as usual," stated Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus lauded Uganda's swift response, highlighting it as a model for controlling Ebola outbreaks. However, the situation remains dire in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the ongoing epidemic is one of the largest ever recorded, with over 2,700 deaths and 5,700 reported infections, though actual numbers are believed to be higher.

Uganda has shown that when you act quickly, Ebola can be controlled quickly.

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesuspraising Uganda's response to the Ebola outbreak
About this summary

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog