Health 4 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
WHO Commends Uganda's Swift Ebola Outbreak Containment
The World Health Organization (WHO) has defended Uganda's decision to prematurely declare an end to the Ebola outbreak, citing the country's robust response mechanisms and successful containment efforts. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/who-defends-uganda-s-early-end-to-ebola-outbreak-5547202
The World Health Organization (WHO) has thrown its support behind Uganda’s early declaration of the end to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak. Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, commended Uganda’s swift and effective response, asserting that the country’s actions were justified.
Dr. Janabi highlighted that Uganda’s preparedness and swift reaction were key to containing the outbreak, which was declared over on January 11, 2023, just 42 days after the last confirmed case. This declaration was made without completing the standard 90-day observation period, a decision that initially raised some questions.
However, the WHO official emphasized that the early end was a testament to Uganda’s well-established surveillance systems and its capacity to quickly identify and isolate cases. The country’s public health infrastructure, coupled with strong community engagement, played a crucial role in preventing further spread.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health, with support from WHO and other partners, implemented rigorous contact tracing, case management, and infection prevention and control measures. These efforts were vital in bringing the epidemic under control.
The WHO’s defense of Uganda’s approach underscores the importance of context-specific epidemic management and the trust placed in national health authorities’ ability to make informed decisions based on real-time epidemiological data. The successful containment is seen as a significant public health achievement for the region.