Uganda readies Ebola-free declaration as final patient to be released

Uganda is set to discharge its last Ebola patient from Mulago National Referral Hospital on Thursday, starting the World Health Organization's 42‑day countdown that could allow the country to be declared Ebola‑free. Government spokesperson Alan Kasujja said the discharge will trigger the waiting period required by WHO guidelines. The broader outbreak, declared a public health emergency in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has recorded 2,011 cases and 754 deaths there. Uganda's health ministry reports 17 recoveries, one current admission, two deaths, five locally acquired cases and 15 imported, all linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain.

In parallel, Dubai Humanitarian has dispatched a fourth airlift to Uganda, delivering 72.5 metric tonnes of emergency supplies—including water purification tablets, generators, mobile storage units and shelter tarpaulins—to bolster containment efforts. The shipment, coordinated with the World Food Programme's UN Humanitarian Response Depot and UNICEF, aims to support treatment sites and protect communities across the border. Giuseppe Saba, CEO of Dubai Humanitarian, emphasized the importance of rapid delivery to frontline health workers.