Kenya Launches Ebola Preparedness Taskforce as Uganda Declares Outbreak Over

Kenya’s Ministry of Health held the inaugural meeting of the National Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Response Taskforce. Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni said the multi‑sectoral taskforce will coordinate surveillance, laboratory capacity, risk communication, case management and cross‑border collaboration to keep the country ready for any Ebola threat, citing Kenya’s strategic location and high cross‑border movement.

Uganda’s health minister Chris Baryomunsi announced that the country is Ebola‑free after a recent outbreak that infected 20 people, including two deaths. The last patient was discharged on 22 June, allowing Uganda to meet the World Health Organization’s 42‑day monitoring requirement. The outbreak was linked to cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but intensive nationwide surveillance prevented further spread.