WHO, Africa CDC declare end of Ebola outbreak in Uganda

Kampala, Aug 27 (IANS) The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Thursday declared the end of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda after 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case since the country’s last patient was discharged.

The WHO Regional Office for Africa said in a press release that the completion of the 42-day period, equivalent to twice the upper limit of Ebola’s incubation period, is a critical step in ensuring that no chains of transmission associated with the last imported case have been missed.

“Uganda has demonstrated that with decisive action, Ebola outbreaks can be brought under control quickly,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying, Xinhua News Agency reported.

“With a focus on preparedness, increased surveillance to find potential cases in health facilities and communities, and careful management of points of entry, countries can keep people and goods moving while ensuring people stay safe, or receive care if they are sick,” he added.

The WHO said Uganda, with support from national and international partners, rapidly interrupted local transmission and prevented wider spread through strong government leadership and early, comprehensive measures, including case detection and confirmation, contact tracing, isolation and clinical care.

“Uganda has shown that Ebola can be stopped when leadership acts decisively, communities are trusted and public health systems reach people quickly,” said Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya.

“This is a victory for Uganda and an important lesson for our continent. We must now protect this achievement while accelerating the response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We will only be secure when transmission is stopped everywhere,” Kaseya said.

Uganda reported 20 confirmed Ebola cases during the outbreak, including two deaths, following the declaration of the outbreak on May 15. Fifteen cases were imported from the neighboring DRC, while five were locally acquired among contacts and health workers linked to the imported cases.

Both health institutions said that while the end of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda marks a milestone, the deadly disease continues to ravage parts of the DRC. They said close social and economic ties, frequent population movement and cross-border trade mean neighboring countries remain at risk of imported cases.

They pledged to continue supporting Uganda and the DRC under the joint continental preparedness and response plan, noting that ending transmission in the DRC remains a central priority for protecting communities across the region.

“WHO will continue working with the government and partners to help preserve these gains and keep communities safe,” said Mohamed Janabi, WHO regional director for Africa.

–IANS

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