The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain in Uganda has officially ended, while the situation remains critical in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a World Health Organization (WHO) official announced during a briefing on Wednesday.
Uganda declared itself free of the disease on July 28, following a total of 20 confirmed cases and two fatalities. The WHO continued to monitor the situation closely until this week to confirm that no transmission chains had been overlooked.
Meanwhile, Dr. Marie Roseline Belizaire, WHO’s director of emergency preparedness for the African region, reported at a regional meeting that the outbreak in the DRC is worsening despite some progress in containment efforts. This outbreak is currently the second deadliest in history, with the number of cases surpassing control measures.
As of Tuesday, the Congolese government has documented over 5,600 cases and more than 2,700 deaths. Dr. Belizaire emphasized that transmission remains highly active, stating, “We have slowed the acceleration, but we have not yet bent this curve.”
She highlighted advancements in contact tracing and testing procedures and noted that analyses of the Bundibugyo virus have not revealed any mutations despite its rapid spread, which is a positive development.
However, she also warned of an urgent $30 million funding gap needed to support logistics for delivering medical supplies and personal protective equipment to the hardest-hit regions in Congo. “Without this immediate investment, we risk stalling the momentum we have built,” she cautioned.
