A fresh Ebola outbreak has been reported in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo, with four confirmed deaths recorded so far.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 Ebola cases have been laboratory confirmed in the DRC, while about 65 suspected deaths have been reported in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones.
Authorities are also investigating 246 suspected cases, with additional samples from Bunia still undergoing laboratory analysis.
Africa CDC said preliminary findings suggest the outbreak could involve a non-Zaire strain of the Ebola virus, although genomic sequencing is expected to confirm the exact strain within hours.
The outbreak has raised concern across the region due to the proximity of the affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan, as well as the high movement of people linked to mining activities and cross-border trade.
Ugandan health authorities on May 15 said the country’s surveillance and emergency response systems remain on high alert amid fears of possible cross-border transmission.
Uganda’s Health Minister, Jane Ruth Aceng, said the country has over the years invested heavily in systems designed to quickly detect and respond to disease outbreaks before they escalate.
Dr Aceng noted that Uganda’s location within the Congo Basin makes the country vulnerable to recurrent outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola.
She added that Uganda’s preparedness has been strengthened through support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, particularly through pilot programmes aimed at improving laboratory capacity, disease surveillance, and rapid response mechanisms.
Since 2000, Uganda has successfully contained six Ebola outbreaks, five of them caused by the Sudan strain of the virus.
