President 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 further spread of the disease.
The President made the remarks during a meeting with the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, held 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 said Uganda remains vigilant and has put in place robust measures to contain the outbreak within its borders while working closely with neighbouring countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where some of the cases are believed to have originated.
He revealed that he had held discussions with the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries to limit cross-border transmission of Ebola.
“We have been engaging our counterparts in the DRC to ensure that we work together in addressing this challenge,” President Museveni said.
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 managing 19 confirmed Ebola cases.
According to Dr. Atwine, 14 of the 19 cases involve members of the same family who entered Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She, however, reported progress in containment efforts, noting that no new cases 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, near the Uganda-DRC border, where treatment and response centres would be established to support local health authorities.
The proposed facilities are intended to serve border communities and reduce the number of patients crossing into Uganda in search of treatment.
Dr. Atwine noted that many Congolese patients increasingly seek treatment in Uganda due to confidence in the country’s ability to manage epidemics and public health emergencies.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, said the initiative would strengthen cross-border disease control efforts and help contain the outbreak closer to its source.
He added that establishing treatment facilities within the DRC would significantly reduce cross-border movement of Ebola patients while supporting local response systems.
President Museveni welcomed the proposal and advised that the treatment centres be established as close to the border as possible.
“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, citing public health concerns.
The annual event attracts more than three million pilgrims from Uganda and across the region, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, and West Africa.
President Museveni said the suspension was a necessary preventive measure to avoid a potential surge in infections.
Dr. Tedros praised Uganda’s decision, describing it as courageous and responsible.
“Thank you for stopping the Martyrs Day celebrations. It was going to be a super-spreader event,” he said.
The WHO Director-General commended Uganda’s leadership and experience in managing public health emergencies, including previous Ebola outbreaks.
He pledged continued support through financial assistance, logistics, technical expertise, and additional personnel to strengthen Uganda’s response.
Dr. Tedros also welcomed Uganda’s approach of extending Ebola response efforts beyond its borders through cross-border treatment centres in the DRC.
He encouraged continued engagement between Uganda, the DRC, and other regional partners to ensure coordinated containment of the outbreak.
The meeting reaffirmed the strong partnership between Uganda and the World Health Organization in strengthening preparedness, surveillance, and response systems to control Ebola and other public health threats.
