Uganda Officially Declares Sixth Ebola Outbreak Over
Uganda has officially declared the end of its most recent Ebola virus outbreak, which began in late January and claimed at least two lives.
The announcement comes 42 days after the last confirmed patient was discharged—meeting the World Health Organization’s (WHO) standard threshold for declaring the end of Ebola transmission.
This marks Uganda’s sixth encounter with Ebola, a deadly virus known to have six strains, three of which have caused significant epidemics in the region.
“During this outbreak, 14 cases were reported—12 confirmed and two probable—resulting in four deaths, including two laboratory-confirmed,” the WHO said in an official statement.
The cases were linked to the Sudan strain of the virus, which led to the deaths of a four-year-old child and a nurse. Dozens of individuals who had close contact with infected patients were monitored, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Uganda’s Ministry of Health confirmed the development on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “The current Ebola Sudan Virus Disease outbreak has officially come to an end. This follows 42 days without a new case since the last confirmed patient was discharged on 14 March 2025.”
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the Ugandan government and health workers for their response, posting on X: “Congratulations to the government and health workers of Uganda on ending the Ebola outbreak.”
Currently, there is no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain, though Uganda launched a vaccine trial in February. WHO has described it as the fastest rollout of an Ebola vaccine trial during an active outbreak.
Despite the successful containment of the virus, global funding for epidemic response remains challenged. In March, the United Nations appealed for $11.2 million in emergency aid following substantial cuts to U.S. humanitarian contributions.
Ebola is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual. Transmission becomes possible only after symptoms appear—typically including fever, vomiting, bleeding, and diarrhea—following an incubation period of two to 21 days.
Across Africa, Ebola has caused over 15,000 deaths in the past five decades, spanning all six known strains of the virus.