Support Community-Led Ebola Containment in Uganda

Dear Do not,

Uganda's successful declaration as Ebola-free remains a major public health achievement and a powerful demonstration of what coordinated action can accomplish. After successfully containing its outbreak, Uganda has moved from emergency response toward sustained preparedness. However, the continuing situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo demonstrates why communities along the Uganda–DRC border must remain vigilant.

As of August 11, 2026, the DRC has reported 4,381 confirmed Ebola cases and 2,011 confirmed deaths across five provinces. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, is being described as the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak recorded to date. Response efforts continue to face major challenges, including insecurity, delayed detection, shortages of supplies, pressure on healthcare systems, and difficulties reaching affected communities.

Development Alert is using the lessons learned during Uganda's response to strengthen preparedness among communities connected to the DRC. Community health volunteers, local leaders, schools, transport operators, and other grassroots structures remain important partners in maintaining awareness and encouraging early reporting of suspected illness.

Our continued work emphasizes preparedness rather than fear. Communities are being encouraged to remain informed, maintain good hygiene practices, cooperate with health authorities, and promptly communicate unusual health concerns.

Uganda's success has shown that early action can save lives. Your support helped strengthen that response, and today those investments continue to protect communities by maintaining local preparedness capacity.

We celebrate Uganda's achievement while standing in solidarity with families and frontline responders in the DRC. The work continues until communities across the region can live without the threat of Ebola.

Dear donor,

Uganda's declaration as Ebola-free is a moment of celebration, but communities along the Uganda–DRC border understand that vigilance must continue. The Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing an unprecedented Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, with confirmed infections recently surpassing 4,000 and deaths approaching 1,850.

The continuing crisis demonstrates why preparedness must remain active even when one country has successfully ended transmission. Communities on both sides of the border are connected by commerce, transportation, family relationships, agriculture, and social activities. These connections are important for livelihoods but can also create pathways for infectious diseases to move between populations.

Development Alert is therefore continuing to promote preparedness through community awareness, local surveillance, hygiene education, rapid communication, and engagement with frontline community structures. Our goal is to ensure that people know where to report health concerns and understand the importance of seeking reliable information during emergencies.

Local leaders remain central to this work. Village leaders, religious leaders, teachers, youth representatives, women's groups, transport operators, and community health volunteers can identify concerns quickly and help communicate accurate information to residents.

We are also preserving the response capacity developed during Uganda's outbreak. The field motorcycle purchased to support contact tracing, emergency response, and delivery of supplies remains an important tool for reaching communities where transportation challenges could otherwise create dangerous delays.

Uganda's victory demonstrates what strong community-based action can accomplish. The continuing crisis in the DRC reminds us why that preparedness must be protected.

Your support is helping ensure that Uganda remains ready, that border communities remain informed, and that the lessons learned during the outbreak continue protecting lives across the region.