Support Community-Led Ebola Containment in Uganda

Dear Donor,

The successful conclusion of Uganda's Ebola outbreak has brought tremendous relief to families across the country. Nevertheless, the continuing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo means that communities along the Uganda–DRC border remain an important focus for disease surveillance and preparedness.

WHO continues to warn that Uganda remains at risk of imported cases because of ongoing transmission in neighboring DRC, population movement, and the possibility of cross-border transmission. The DRC has now reported more than 4,400 confirmed cases, demonstrating the enormous scale of the continuing emergency.

Development Alert is maintaining community-level preparedness by working with local leaders and grassroots volunteers who understand the communities they serve. These community networks are valuable because they can help identify unusual health events early and connect families with appropriate health services.

Awareness activities continue in border villages, markets, schools, transport centers, and other gathering points. Residents are encouraged to remain alert to unusual symptoms, seek reliable health information, and report suspected illness promptly rather than waiting for a condition to worsen.

The field motorcycle purchased during the emergency response remains an important part of this preparedness capacity. It allows teams to travel to remote communities, conduct follow-up visits, deliver educational materials, and respond quickly when local health alerts require attention.

The goal is not to create fear but to maintain responsible vigilance. Uganda's experience has shown that communities can successfully overcome Ebola when people, health workers, leaders, and response organizations work together.

Your continued support is helping protect Uganda's hard-won progress while strengthening communities that remain connected to the ongoing crisis across the border.

Dear supporter,

Uganda's declaration as Ebola-free was a major achievement for the country and a powerful demonstration of what coordinated public health action can accomplish. After recording 20 confirmed cases, Uganda completed the required monitoring period without detecting a new locally transmitted case and officially ended the outbreak on July 28, 2026. However, the continuing Ebola crisis in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo means that preparedness must remain a priority, particularly for communities living along the Uganda–DRC border.

The DRC situation has continued to deteriorate. As of August 11, government data reported 4,449 confirmed cases and 2,061 deaths. The outbreak has spread across several provinces and is occurring in communities facing insecurity, population displacement, limited healthcare access, and difficult transportation conditions.

Development Alert is therefore continuing to support community preparedness activities even though Uganda is no longer experiencing active transmission. Community volunteers, local leaders, health workers, teachers, transport operators, and other grassroots partners remain important in keeping communities informed.

Our focus is on maintaining awareness, encouraging early reporting of unusual illness, promoting infection prevention practices, and strengthening communication between communities and health facilities. These measures help ensure that a potential imported case can be identified and addressed rapidly.

The experience of Uganda demonstrates that early intervention can prevent a much larger crisis. Your support helped strengthen that response, and we are committed to ensuring that the capacity built during the outbreak is not lost.

Uganda's Ebola-free status is a reason for hope—but the crisis across the border reminds us that preparedness, solidarity, and vigilance must continue.