Uganda has officially declared itself free of Ebola, marking the end of an outbreak that emerged in mid-May and sickened 20 people, two of whom died.
Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced the milestone on Tuesday following the successful completion of a mandatory 42-day monitoring period required by WHO guidelines, which began after the last patient was discharged on 22 June. The ministry maintained intensive nationwide surveillance throughout the period and confirmed no additional cases were detected. Eighteen of the 20 infected individuals recovered and were released from treatment.
The outbreak in Uganda was contained even as the virus continued to spread in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where confirmed cases have reached 3,262 with 1,437 deaths. The epidemic in the DRC, which began in May, remains one of the largest on record.