Uganda Declares End To Deadly Ebola Outbreak

 

Uganda on Wednesday January 11 2023, declared an end to an Ebola virus outbreak that emerged almost four months ago and claimed the lives of 55 people. 

The outbreak was caused by the Sudan Ebola virus, one of six species of the Ebola virus for which there is currently no vaccine.

According to WHO, there were 142 confirmed cases, 55 confirmed deaths and 87 recovered patients.

Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said at the ceremony in the central district of Mubende where the disease was first detected in September “ We have successfully controlled the Ebola outbreak in Uganda”.

The move was further confirmed in a statement issued by the World Health Organization which says  “Uganda put a swift end to the Ebola outbreak by ramping up key control measures such as surveillance, contact tracing and infection, prevention and control,” the WHO statement quoted the minister as saying.

Aceng said January 11 marked 113 days since the start of the outbreak of the often fatal haemorrhagic fever in the East African country. And according to WHO, an outbreak of the disease ends when there are no new cases for 42 consecutive days — twice the incubation period of Ebola.

The health minister gave kudos to the citizens as she commended their efforts in helping them curb the virus. She said, “While we expanded our efforts to put a strong response in place across the nine affected districts, the magic bullet has been our communities who understood the importance of doing what was needed to end the outbreak, and took action.”