ENTEBBE — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment and preparedness to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak, emphasising the need for stronger regional collaboration and coordinated public health interventions to prevent further spread of the disease.
The President made the remarks during a meeting with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, at State House, Entebbe. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Health and the WHO Uganda Country Office.
President Museveni told the WHO delegation that Uganda remains vigilant and has put in place robust surveillance and response measures to contain the outbreak while working closely with neighbouring countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where some of the reported cases originated.
“We have been engaging our counterparts in the DRC to ensure that we work together in addressing this challenge,” President Museveni said, revealing that he had already held discussions with Félix Tshisekedi on strengthening cross-border cooperation to limit the spread of Ebola.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine, briefed the meeting on the status of the outbreak, reporting that Uganda is currently managing 19 confirmed Ebola cases.
According to Dr. Atwine, 14 of the confirmed cases involve members of the same family who entered Uganda from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She noted, however, that containment efforts were yielding positive results, with no new Ebola case 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 disclosed that the Ministry of Health plans to establish four strategic medical camps in communities near the Uganda-DRC border to support local health authorities in managing Ebola cases closer to the source of the outbreak.
The proposed treatment and response centres will be located within the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are intended to reduce the number of patients crossing into Uganda in search of treatment.
Dr. Atwine explained that many Congolese patients have increasingly sought medical care in Uganda because of the country’s strong reputation for managing epidemics and public health emergencies.
Health Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi said the initiative would strengthen regional disease control efforts and help contain the outbreak before it spreads further across borders.
“Establishing treatment facilities within the DRC will significantly reduce cross-border movement of Ebola patients while supporting local response efforts,” Dr Baryomunsi said.
President Museveni welcomed the proposal and advised that the treatment centres 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,” he said.
The President also highlighted the government’s decision to suspend this year’s Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations at Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, one of the country’s largest annual religious gatherings, as a key public health measure.
The event typically attracts millions of pilgrims from Uganda and across the region, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, and other African countries.
President Museveni said the suspension was necessary to prevent a possible surge in infections during the outbreak.
Dr Tedros commended Uganda for what he described as decisive and responsible leadership, particularly the decision to halt the annual celebrations.
“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 track record in managing public health emergencies and pledged continued support through financial assistance, logistics, technical expertise, and additional personnel to strengthen the country’s Ebola response.
He also welcomed Uganda’s proposal to establish treatment facilities near affected communities in the DRC and encouraged continued engagement between President Museveni, President Tshisekedi, and other regional leaders to coordinate efforts against the outbreak.
The meeting underscored the longstanding partnership between Uganda and the World Health Organisation and highlighted a shared commitment to strengthening regional preparedness, surveillance, and response mechanisms to combat Ebola and other public health threats.