Uganda has discharged its last confirmed Ebola patient from the isolation centre at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, triggering a 42-day countdown required by the World Health Organization before the country can be officially declared free of the virus. Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi described the moment as "a moment of joy" at a ceremony marking the discharge, while urging continued vigilance. No new cases have been recorded in Uganda since 21 June.

The outbreak, first confirmed in May, infected 20 people — the majority of them Congolese nationals who had crossed into Uganda seeking treatment — and claimed two lives. The case fatality rate of under 10% is strikingly low by historical standards; previous Ebola outbreaks have recorded fatality rates of at least 30%. WHO representative in Uganda Dr Kasonde Mwinga credited sustained investment in epidemic preparedness: Uganda had established treatment facilities, trained emergency medical teams and pre-positioned medical supplies before the outbreak began, enabling a rapid response. The country has experienced several Ebola outbreaks over the past two decades and has well-established protocols for isolation, contact tracing and public health communication.

The outbreak was caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which no licensed vaccine currently exists. This week, Oxford University's Oxford Vaccine Group launched the world's first Phase I clinical trial of BD-Ebov, a candidate vaccine targeting that strain. Uganda has already participated in trials of experimental therapies during the outbreak and intends to join future vaccine studies.

The situation across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo — a vast country in central Africa — remains acute. More than 2,073 confirmed cases and 796 deaths have been recorded there as of 14 July, making it the world's third-largest Ebola outbreak on record. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the outbreak is spreading faster than any previous one, with 80% of new cases arising from previously unknown transmission chains and roughly two-thirds of deaths occurring in communities rather than health facilities. A WHO official noted this week that the true number of infections could be four times higher than recorded figures suggest. The WHO is seeking $115 million to tackle the crisis but has received only $45 million so far.

Despite its own progress, Uganda is not lowering its guard. Under WHO guidelines, two consecutive 21-day incubation periods must pass without a new case before an outbreak can be formally declared over. Baryomunsi stressed that the threat from across the border remains real, noting that presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC have agreed on closer cross-border cooperation, with Uganda already deploying 50 health workers and four laboratories to four locations inside the DRC. Meanwhile, the Ugandan government is pushing 15 countries — including the United States, which has placed Uganda under a level four travel advisory — to lift restrictions it says have severely damaged tourism and trade, arguing that Uganda's low case count and strong response justify a reassessment.