Museveni assures WHO of Uganda commitment to contain Ebola outbreak

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has assured the World Health Organization (WHO) of Uganda’s continued commitment and preparedness to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak, emphasizing the importance of regional cooperation and swift public health interventions to prevent the spread of the disease.

The President made the remarks today during a meeting with the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at State House Entebbe. The meeting was also 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 within its borders while also working closely with neighboring countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where some of the cases have originated.

The President revealed that he had already held productive discussions with the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, H.E. Félix Tshisekedi, on strengthening collaboration between the two countries to limit 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 noted.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, briefed the meeting on the current status of the outbreak, stating that Uganda is presently managing nineteen confirmed Ebola cases.

According to Dr. Atwine, fourteen of the nineteen cases involve members of the same family who entered Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She, however, reported encouraging progress in the containment efforts, noting that no new Ebola case had been registered in the previous 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 within the Democratic Republic of Congo, close to the Uganda-DRC border, where medical camps would be established to support local health authorities in managing Ebola cases.

The proposed treatment and response centers are intended to serve communities near the border and reduce the number of Ebola patients crossing into Uganda in search of treatment.

Dr. Atwine explained that many Congolese patients have increasingly sought treatment in Uganda due to the confidence they have developed in Uganda’s ability to effectively manage epidemics and public health emergencies.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, highlighted the significance of the initiative, saying it would strengthen cross-border disease control efforts and help address the outbreak closer to its source.

Dr. Baryomunsi noted that establishing treatment facilities within the DRC would significantly reduce cross-border movement of Ebola patients while supporting local response efforts.

President Museveni welcomed the proposal and advised that the treatment centers be established as close to the border as possible to effectively serve vulnerable populations.

“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 difficult but necessary decision by the government 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 told President Museveni.

The WHO Director-General praised Uganda’s leadership and the country’s proven capacity to respond effectively to public health emergencies, citing its experience in handling previous Ebola outbreaks and other infectious diseases.

He pledged the World Health Organization’s continued support through financial resources, logistics, technical expertise, and additional personnel to strengthen Uganda’s response efforts.

Dr. Tedros further welcomed Uganda’s innovative approach of extending support beyond its borders by establishing treatment facilities near affected communities in the DRC.

He also encouraged President Museveni to continue engaging President Tshisekedi and other regional leaders in coordinated efforts to address 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 demonstrated a shared commitment to strengthening regional preparedness, surveillance, and response mechanisms against Ebola.