Government of Uganda has echoed the need for African countries to lead the response to health emergencies affecting the continent.
National governments remain at the centre of decision-making, while Africa CDC and WHO provide technical leadership, coordination and support that reinforce national ownership.
This was disclosed by the Minister of health Dr Chris Baryomusi as he officially unveiled Continental Incident Management Support Team for Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak located at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) Building, Makerere University Campus in Uganda’s Capital Kampala.
The outbreak of the Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease (BVD) presents a dynamic and high- consequence public health risk across the East, South and Central African regions, with a significant propensity for cross-border transmission due to fluid population movements.
Characterized by sudden onset and complex clinical manifestations, this evolving emergency demands an ccelerated, heavily integrated, and un-siloed response coordination.
Uganda has reported a total of 20 confirmed cases, including 2 deaths, resulting in a CFR of 10.0%. To date, 14 patients have recovered and been discharged. The outbreak remains limited to one affected district, with 9 contacts currently under follow-up. Among healthcare workers, 4 confirmed infections have been reported, with no deaths recorded. All confirmed cases in Uganda have been linked to cross-border transmission associated with the outbreak in eastern DRC.
As of 21 June 2026, a cumulative total of 1,068 laboratory-confirmed Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease (BVD) cases, including 269 deaths among confirmed cases and 126 recoveries, have been reported across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
The outbreak has affected 34 health zones in the DRC and one district in Uganda.
Overall, the outbreak continues to exhibit sustained transmission, with a steady week-on-week increase in confirmed cases, indicating ongoing community spread. A total of 8,433 contacts have been identified and listed for follow-up, while 82 healthcare workers (HCWs) have been infected, including 18 HCW deaths.
The DRC remains the center of the outbreak, accounting for 1,048 confirmed cases (98.1%) and 267 deaths among confirmed cases, resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 25.5%.
A total of 112 patients have recovered and been discharged, while 8,424 contacts have been identified for follow-up. The outbreak has spread across 34 health zones, with Ituri Province accounting for 91% of all confirmed cases, making it the principal epicenter of transmission.
The Executive Director of the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) at Makerere University in Kampala is Dr. Andrew Kambugu says the physical command space for the Continental IMST at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI),
Makerere University, solves these operational challenges directly.
Physical co-location enables rapid cross-functional communication, standardizes the flow of operational nformation, and optimizes resource distribution across critical pillars such as Surveillance, Case Management, Logistics, and Risk Communication.