Uganda begins 42-day countdown to Ebola-free status after last patient discharged
Uganda has begun a 42-day countdown toward being declared free of Ebola after the country discharged its final patient from an isolation facility.
The patient was released from the Ebola isolation unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala on Thursday, July 16, marking the start of the mandatory monitoring period required by the World Health Organisation (WHO) before an outbreak can officially be declared over.
Under WHO guidelines, a country can only be certified Ebola-free after 42 consecutive days without any new confirmed cases following the recovery or death of the last known patient.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health recorded 20 confirmed Ebola cases during the outbreak, including five locally transmitted infections and 15 imported cases. Official figures show that 17 patients recovered, while two people died from the disease.
Ugandan government spokesperson Alan Kasujja confirmed that the discharge of the final patient triggered the WHO-mandated countdown period.
“When that happens, Uganda starts counting down. If 42 days pass without a single new case, WHO guidelines stipulate that we will be declared Ebola-free,” Kasujja said.
The development marks a significant step in Uganda’s response to the outbreak, with health authorities continuing surveillance efforts throughout the countdown period to detect any possible new infections.
Meanwhile, Ebola remains a concern in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May. Recent data from Congolese authorities showed that the country has recorded more than 2,000 confirmed Ebola cases and over 700 confirmed deaths during the ongoing outbreak.
Health officials continue to monitor regional developments closely as Uganda works toward ending its latest Ebola outbreak.
