Uganda has released its final Ebola patient, initiating a 42-day period for the country to potentially be declared free of the virus, according to the Health Ministry. Since mid-May, Uganda has recorded a total of 20 cases of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Most of these cases, about 15, were individuals who contracted the virus in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and then traveled to Uganda.
In contrast to the ongoing surge of cases in Congo, Uganda has not reported any new cases since June 22. Congo, on the other hand, reported 62 new cases recently, bringing its total confirmed infections to 2,073, although the World Health Organization believes the actual number could be significantly higher.
The last Ebola patient in Uganda, a Congolese national who has fully recovered, has been discharged and will reunite with their family, as announced by Uganda’s Health Ministry. The patient was treated at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala and is now out of the isolation unit.
According to government spokesperson Alan Kasujja, Uganda will now enter the countdown phase. If the 42-day period elapses without any new cases, in line with WHO guidelines, Uganda will be officially declared Ebola-free.
