President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has assured the World Health Organization (WHO) of Uganda’s continued preparedness and commitment to containing the ongoing Ebola outbreak, emphasizing the need for stronger regional collaboration and swift public health interventions to curb the spread of the disease.
The President made the remarks on Monday during a meeting with the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at State House Entebbe. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Health and the WHO Uganda Country Office.
President Museveni informed the WHO delegation that Uganda remains vigilant and has put in place robust measures to contain the outbreak while strengthening cooperation with neighbouring countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where some of the confirmed cases originated.
The President revealed that he had held discussions with the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, H.E. Félix Tshisekedi, aimed at enhancing joint efforts to prevent the cross-border spread of Ebola.
“We have been engaging our counterparts in the DRC to ensure that we work together in addressing this challenge,” President Museveni said.
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, briefed the meeting on the status of the outbreak, noting that Uganda is currently managing 19 confirmed Ebola cases.
According to Dr. Atwine, 14 of the 19 cases involve members of the same family who entered Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She, however, reported encouraging progress in containment efforts, revealing that no new Ebola case had been recorded in the past three days.
“Our surveillance and response teams remain fully engaged. We continue to monitor contacts, strengthen screening measures, and ensure that all suspected cases are promptly identified and managed,” Dr. Atwine said.
She further disclosed that the Ministry of Health had identified four strategic locations near the Uganda-DRC border within the Democratic Republic of Congo, where medical camps would be established to support local health authorities in managing Ebola cases.
The proposed treatment and response centres are intended to serve border communities and reduce the number of Ebola patients crossing into Uganda in search of treatment.
Dr. Atwine explained that many Congolese patients increasingly seek medical care in Uganda due to confidence in the country’s proven ability to effectively manage epidemics and public health emergencies.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, described the initiative as a significant step toward strengthening cross-border disease control efforts and tackling the outbreak closer to its source.
Dr. Baryomunsi noted that establishing treatment facilities within the DRC would help reduce cross-border movement of Ebola patients while supporting local response efforts.
President Museveni welcomed the proposal and advised that the treatment centres be established as close to the border as possible to effectively serve vulnerable communities.
“It should be near the border, not far inside the DRC, because we are targeting those who are trying to escape and seek treatment elsewhere,” the President advised.
The President also highlighted the government’s difficult but necessary decision to suspend this year’s Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations at Namugongo, one of the country’s largest annual religious gatherings.
The annual event typically attracts more than three million pilgrims and visitors from Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, West Africa, and other parts of the world.
President Museveni said suspending the celebrations was an important public health measure aimed at preventing a possible surge in infections.
Dr. Tedros commended Uganda for taking decisive action, describing the suspension of the Martyrs Day celebrations as a courageous and responsible decision.
“Thank you for stopping the Martyrs Day celebrations. It was going to be a super-spreader event,” Dr. Tedros said.
The WHO Director-General praised Uganda’s leadership and proven capacity to respond effectively to public health emergencies, citing the country’s experience in managing previous Ebola outbreaks and other infectious diseases.
He pledged the World Health Organization’s continued support through financial assistance, logistics, technical expertise, and additional personnel to strengthen Uganda’s response efforts.
Dr. Tedros also welcomed Uganda’s innovative approach of extending support beyond its borders through the planned establishment of treatment facilities near affected communities in the DRC.
He encouraged President Museveni to continue engaging President Tshisekedi and other regional leaders in coordinated efforts to contain the outbreak and prevent its spread across the region.
The meeting underscored the strong partnership between Uganda and the World Health Organization in safeguarding public health and reaffirmed a shared commitment to strengthening regional preparedness, surveillance, and response mechanisms against Ebola.
