Uganda discharged its last remaining Ebola patient on Thursday, triggering a 42-day countdown after which it can be declared free of the virus, the East African nation’s health ministry said.
Uganda has confirmed a total of 20 cases of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola since mid-May. Fifteen of those were people infected in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of the outbreak, who then travelled to Uganda.
Unlike in Congo, where cases are still surging, Uganda has not reported a new case since June 22.
Congo reported 62 new cases on Thursday, taking its total number of confirmed infections to 2 073, though the World Health Organization has said the true tally could be at least double that.
‘Congolese national has successfully recovered’
“Today, Uganda has discharged the last Ebola patient, a Congolese national who has successfully recovered and (is) ready to be with his family,” Uganda’s health ministry said in a post on X.
On Wednesday, government spokesperson Alan Kasujja said the patient would be released from an isolation unit at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in the capital Kampala.
“Uganda starts counting down,” he wrote on X. “If 42 days pass without a single new case, WHO guidelines stipulate that we will be declared Ebola free.”
- Uganda discharged its last Ebola patient on Thursday, starting a 42-day countdown to being declared Ebola-free.
- Since mid-May, Uganda reported 20 cases of the rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain, 15 of which were from infected individuals who traveled from the DRC.
- Uganda has not seen any new Ebola cases since June 22, unlike the Democratic Republic of Congo where cases continue to rise.
- The discharged patient is a Congolese national who recovered and was released from isolation in Kampala.
- The DRC reported 62 new cases on Thursday, bringing the total to 2,073 confirmed infections, with WHO estimating the actual number may be double.
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On Wednesday, government spokesperson Alan Kasujja said the patient would be released from an isolation unit at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in the capital Kampala.
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