Support Community-Led Ebola Containment in Uganda

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.