Africa CDC hails Uganda for Ebola containment
Kampala, Aug 3
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday praised Uganda for successfully containing its latest Ebola outbreak, attributing the achievement to strong national leadership and coordinated action.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya made the remarks on social media platform X after co-chairing a meeting in Kampala with World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Yakub Janabi and officials from Uganda's Ministry of Health.
"We commended Uganda for successfully containing the Ebola outbreak through strong national leadership and coordinated action," wrote Kaseya.
"This progress must be protected. Sustained preparedness, vigilant surveillance, and strong cross-border coordination remain essential to prevent further transmission and strengthen health security across the region," he added.
Uganda declared the end of the Ebola outbreak on July 28, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The announcement came before the completion of the WHO's standard 42-day countdown following the discharge of the last patient. Uganda discharged its last Ebola patient on July 16 after the individual tested negative for the virus.
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the largest ever recorded in the country, surpassing the 2018-2020 epidemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Saturday.
As of Thursday, the DRC had reported 3,605 confirmed cases of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus, including 1,587 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 44 per cent, the WHO said in its latest disease outbreak report.
The previous largest outbreak, which struck the country's east between 2018 and 2020, recorded 3,317 confirmed cases.
The current outbreak, initially confined to the Mongbwalu health zone in the province of Ituri, has spread over the past two months to 49 health zones across five provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo.
The outbreak has also taken a growing toll on health workers, with 151 infections and 44 deaths reported so far, highlighting persistent gaps in infection prevention and control at health facilities, the WHO said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Great news from Uganda! But the DRC situation is worrying - 3,605 cases and 1,587 deaths is devastating. The 44% fatality rate shows how dangerous Ebola can be. International support needs to step up immediately before it spreads further.
As an Indian, I appreciate how Uganda handled this - transparent reporting and quick action. But we must ask: why did it take so long for the international community to recognize African health systems' capabilities? They've been fighting these battles with limited resources. 🤔
The numbers from DRC are terrifying - 151 health workers infected. That's not just a statistic, those are heroes on the frontlines. Uganda's success is inspiring, but regional coordination is the key. We can't afford to let this become another global crisis.
The way Uganda contained this outbreak is remarkable! They learned from past experiences and did better. As a public health student, I see so many parallels with India's fight against infectious diseases. Cross-border coordination is something South Asian countries can learn from too. 🇮🇳🤝🇺🇬
Solid progress from Uganda, but the job is far from over. The DRC outbreak is spreading rapidly across 49 health zones - that's a 5-province emergency. WHO and Africa CDC need to mobilize resources ASAP. This could easily spiral if not controlled soon.
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