Ebola outbreak over in Uganda after three months

Kampala: Uganda declared the end of its Ebola outbreak today, after no new cases were reported for 42 days since the last confirmed patient was discharged on March 15, 2025. 

The outbreak, confirmed on January 30, 2025, in Kampala, recorded 14 cases, including 12 confirmed and 2 probable, across seven districts: Fort Portal City, Jinja, Kampala, Kyegegwa, Mbale, Ntoroko, and Wakiso. Four deaths occurred, with 2 confirmed and 2 probable, and 10 patients recovered. Authorities monitored 534 contacts to prevent transmission.

The Ministry of Health, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, activated the National Task Force and Incident Management Team, deployed response teams, strengthened surveillance, and established four treatment units in Fort Portal, Jinja, Kampala, and Mbale. Border health measures were enforced in Kampala and at 13 priority entry points, including Entebbe International Airport, to prevent cross-border transmission. WHO provided over 130 staff for case investigation, contact tracing, laboratory diagnostics, and case management, testing more than 1,500 samples. A mobile laboratory was deployed to Mbale to reduce the result turnaround time. Full genome sequencing of the first confirmed case indicated a zoonotic spillover event.

Teams conducted alert management, verifying 2,700 of 3,757 reported signals as suspected cases, and performed mortality surveillance, testing 2,940 non-trauma deaths, with one positive case. Infection prevention and control measures included disinfection of sites linked to confirmed cases and screening at health facilities. Community engagement teams, including anthropologists, addressed stigma and promoted health measures, working with religious leaders, schoolteachers, and traditional healers to build trust.

The outbreak involved the Sudan virus disease (SVD) subtype, which has a historical fatality rate of 40 per cent. No licensed vaccines or treatments exist, but a clinical trial, TOKOMEZA SVD, began on February 3, 2025, four days after the outbreak declaration, using a ring vaccination approach. Contacts of confirmed cases were randomised to receive the vaccine immediately or later to assess efficacy and safety. The trial was supported by Uganda Makerere University, Uganda Virus Research Institute, WHO, and partners, with vaccines donated by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, European Union Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, and Canada’s International Development Research Centre. Remdesivir was administered under the Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered and Experimental Interventions protocol. A therapeutic trial was not initiated due to a lack of ethics and regulatory approvals.

WHO released 3.4 million US dollars from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies and mobilised 4.1 million US dollars from donors to support the response. The outbreak, Uganda’s sixth SVD event and second in three years, followed a 2022 outbreak with 164 cases and 55 deaths, declared over on January 11, 2023. The 2025 outbreak had a case fatality ratio of 29 per cent, lower than historical rates.

Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa, said the outbreak affected urban and rural areas amid funding constraints, adding that the response showed Uganda’s leadership in public health emergencies. Dr Kasonde Mwinga, WHO Representative in Uganda, said the Ministry of Health and WHO collaborated from the start, deploying supplies and investigating cases.

The Ministry of Health said it will continue surveillance, survivor care, and preparedness to prevent future outbreaks, focusing on mortality surveillance, contact tracing, and safe burials. Community engagement will persist to reduce stigma and maintain awareness. WHO advised against travel or trade restrictions to Uganda and encouraged collaboration with neighbouring countries for joint investigations and data sharing.

– global bihari bureau