Ebola in Uganda is ‘under control’ – Africa CDC
The Ebola outbreak in Uganda is currently “under control,” according to the African Union’s health agency, which on Thursday commended the country’s strong contact-tracing response.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency over a separate outbreak in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Since being reported on May 15, the outbreak has led to 635 confirmed infections and 127 deaths.
Uganda, in comparison, has recorded 19 cases and two fatalities in about one month, with nearly all infections linked to Congolese nationals who crossed the border.
“The outbreak is really under control in Uganda,” said Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, adding that the country has been effective in its response.
Kaseya further noted that Kampala has traced 792 contacts, all of whom are under active monitoring. “Uganda is doing a great job,” he said.
During a recent visit to Uganda, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also praised the country’s response strategy, highlighting a case fatality rate of “less than one percent.”
The Africa CDC recommends that each confirmed case should result in the identification of at least 40 contacts. However, Kaseya said the DRC has traced fewer than 5,000 contacts, far below the estimated 24,000 needed. “If we don’t follow up, it means there is a huge risk of transmission,” he warned.
The outbreak is concentrated in eastern DRC’s Ituri province, where insecurity and poor road networks, driven by armed groups, are making response efforts difficult.
There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the outbreak.
Kaseya also renewed calls for a ceasefire in eastern DRC to help contain the spread, stressing: “This outbreak doesn’t know who is rebel, who’s not rebel.”
Ebola is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids and close interaction with infected individuals. Over the past five decades, it has claimed more than 15,000 lives across Africa.