The World Health Organization has declared Uganda free of Ebola after the country passed the required 42-day period without a new case, closing an outbreak that infected 20 people and killed two. Officials credited swift contact tracing and containment for the limited toll.
The 42-day window, twice the maximum incubation period, is the standard the WHO uses to confirm transmission has ended. Uganda drew on experience from earlier outbreaks to isolate cases and monitor contacts before the disease could spread widely.
The declaration contrasts sharply with the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where a separate outbreak has grown beyond 5,600 recorded cases. The divergence underscores how preparedness and health-system capacity shape the course of such emergencies.
Public-health experts urged continued vigilance, noting the virus can persist in survivors and reappear. Uganda’s health ministry said it would keep monitoring in place and response teams ready in case of any resurgence.
The successful containment offers a case study followed closely by health authorities worldwide, at a time when cross-border disease threats remain a shared international concern.
