Uganda Discharges Ebola Patient, Begins 42-Day Countdown

Uganda has discharged its last confirmed Ebola patient, initiating a critical 42-day countdown toward being declared free of the virus. The patient, a Congolese national, was released from an isolation unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala on Thursday, July 16, 2026. According to World Health Organization protocols, an outbreak can only be declared over after two consecutive 21-day incubation periods pass without a new confirmed case.

The Ugandan outbreak, declared on May 15, resulted in 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. Health officials reported that 15 of those cases were imported from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, where a much larger and more severe outbreak is ongoing, while five were locally acquired. No new confirmed cases have been reported in Uganda since June 21. Health Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi stated the discharge demonstrates that Ebola is defeatable with strong systems and adherence to measures, crediting health workers for their efforts.

The national response, supported by the WHO and partners, included rapid case detection, extensive contact tracing of all 836 identified contacts, and strengthened surveillance across 36...