According to experts, the true number of fatalities during the outbreak in DR Congo, which was declared in May, is much higher; Authorities confirmed on Thursday that the virus is spreading faster than in previous outbreaks.

Uganda’s Preparedness and Response

Uganda’s health minister described a “moment of joy” as the last Ebola patient was released from hospital two weeks ago. Dr Kasonde Mwinga, the World Health Organization’s Uganda chief, stated that the low number of casualties was not due to luck or chance, but because people invested in preparedness.

Uganda has had nine Ebola outbreaks since 2000, and officials there say lessons learned from past tragedies have helped prevent the disease from spreading. One example is the case of a 12-year-old girl in 2011, whose symptoms led to immediate isolation and precautions that halted the spread of the virus.

Effective Measures and Border Closure

Uganda’s first known case was a man from DR Congo who crossed the border for treatment — Once multiple cases were confirmed, a specialist Ebola treatment centre was activated at Mulago hospital in Kampala. The facility had leftover medical supplies and an emergency medical team on standby, allowing for a quick response.

Out of the 20 people who tested positive in Uganda, 15 came from DR Congo, while Dr David Kaggwa, head of the facility, noted that because these patients did not pass through general hospitals, there was little opportunity for community transmission. To prevent the spread, authorities closed the border between Uganda and DR Congo, despite the financial impact on those who trade between the two countries.

Challenges in DR Congo and Uganda’s Success

Uganda acted fast and had an advantage over DR Congo when it came to responding to the virus, but Before the first cases were reported in DR Congo, the virus had been spreading undetected for weeks. This was because health officials had been testing for common species of Ebola and not the rare species, Bundibugyo, behind the current outbreak.

Uganda only detected its first case after DR Congo had identified and publicised multiple infections — this allowed Uganda to act quickly to contain the virus. Surveillance mechanisms were put in place, making it easy to identify patients quickly. In contrast, DR Congo has faced challenges with surveillance and contact tracing, with one field investigator stating that surveillance had been hampered by poor planning, logistical bottlenecks, and inexperienced staff.

Government spokesperson Alan Kasujja agreed, stating that their success is mainly due to promptness and completeness of follow-up. Uganda managed to quarantine more than 6,000 contacts of people known to have Ebola during the outbreak, while Dr Kaggwa emphasized that this is very important because cases often come from these contacts.

Uganda has a history of effective responses to health crises. In the 1990s and 2000s, the country was praised for its successful campaign against HIV and Aids, which saw the prevalence of HIV drop from more than 10% to 6% in roughly a decade. The government’s program the “ABCs”: abstinence, being faithful, and condom use, as Community cooperation is also critical, with members of the public continuing to take precautions despite announcements that Uganda has no Ebola patients.

This cooperation is illustrated by one of the first cases of Ebola in Uganda, a nurse who contracted the virus while working in an intensive care unit. She sought isolation immediately upon learning of her diagnosis and followed guidelines even during the frightening time when her 11-month-old baby was quarantined for 21 days.

Uganda has since announced it is totally Ebola-free, going against the protocol of waiting 42 days from when the last patient recovers to declare an outbreak over. The health ministry made this announcement because the first case was imported and there was never any “unexplained community transmission.”

Despite this, the long, porous border with Ituri, the Congolese area with most infections, means the virus could easily reach Uganda again, though Uganda has sent dozens of healthcare workers to DR Congo to help their “brothers and sisters” tackle Ebola. Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi and Kasujja emphasized that Uganda cannot win against Ebola if DR Congo fails.