The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Monday visited Uganda, where a deadly Ebola outbreak has killed two people after spreading from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The WHO has declared an international health emergency over the current outbreak, which was announced on May 15 in northeastern DRC.
According to the UN health agency, the DRC has recorded 515 confirmed Ebola infections, including 91 deaths.
Tedros said Uganda had mounted a prompt and capable response to the outbreak.
“I am in Uganda, where the government has mounted a prompt and capable response to the outbreak of Ebola,” he wrote on X.
He noted that border screening measures helped detect cases arriving from neighbouring DRC, while the country’s surveillance, testing and case management systems continue to function effectively.
A WHO spokesman in Geneva confirmed that Tedros met with a senior Ugandan health ministry official on Monday, according to AFP.
Of the 19 confirmed cases recorded in Uganda so far, 14 involved people who entered from the DRC, while five are Ugandan nationals.
“Sadly, two people from DRC have died, and our thoughts are with their families,” Tedros said.
The latest outbreak marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC, a central African nation of more than 100 million people.
There is currently no specific vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain responsible for the outbreak.
Tedros said the WHO, alongside the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners, is supporting Uganda’s response efforts.
“With continued collaboration, I am confident this outbreak can be brought under control,” he added.
