By Joseph Kiggundu
KAMPALA — The World Health Organization (WHO) has continued to classify Uganda as a high-risk Ebola country even as the country marks six consecutive days without recording a new infection.
In its latest outbreak update, WHO reported that no new Ebola cases or deaths had been registered in Uganda since June 8, a development that health authorities view as a positive sign in the country’s efforts to contain the disease.
According to the update, Uganda has so far recorded 19 confirmed Ebola cases and two deaths, in addition to one probable fatal case. Despite the encouraging trend, WHO says the risk level remains high because of Uganda’s close links with the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The global health agency noted that Uganda continues to face the threat of imported infections due to frequent cross-border movements along the eastern DRC-western Uganda corridor.
Health data shows that the majority of Uganda’s confirmed cases originated from DRC, while a smaller number resulted from transmission among identified contacts and healthcare workers. The infections have largely been concentrated in Kampala and Wakiso districts.
WHO highlighted that there has been no evidence of widespread community transmission within Uganda. Most exposures have been linked to healthcare facilities and cross-border travel.
The Ministry of Health has also reported several recoveries, reflecting progress in patient management and outbreak response efforts.
Contact tracing remains ongoing, with hundreds of individuals monitored after possible exposure to confirmed cases. Many contacts have already completed the mandatory 21-day observation period without developing symptoms.
While Uganda’s situation appears to be stabilising, the outbreak in DRC continues to worsen. WHO reported that hundreds of confirmed cases and more than a hundred deaths have been recorded across affected areas in the neighbouring country, prompting the organization to maintain a very high-risk assessment there.
However, WHO said the overall risk to the rest of Africa and the wider international community remains low.
The continued classification of Uganda as a high-risk Ebola destination is expected to raise concerns among tourism operators, airlines and business leaders who have argued that the country’s successful containment measures are not receiving sufficient international recognition.
Several tourism stakeholders have warned that Ebola-related travel advisories continue to affect visitor numbers and hotel bookings at a time when the sector is still recovering from previous disruptions.
Government officials have also questioned travel restrictions imposed by some countries, maintaining that Uganda has been transparent in reporting cases and effective in preventing broader transmission.
Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwine has previously urged international partners to avoid blanket restrictions, arguing that such measures discourage countries from openly reporting disease outbreaks and may not reflect the actual level of risk.
Although WHO acknowledged Uganda’s success in limiting transmission and preventing community spread, it emphasized that the country’s proximity to the growing outbreak in DRC requires continued vigilance.
For Uganda’s tourism industry and wider business community, hopes now rest on a sustained decline in cases and an eventual declaration that the outbreak has been fully contained.
Until then, Uganda faces the challenge of balancing public health achievements with the economic impact of remaining on the WHO high-risk Ebola watch list.