WHO chief lauds Uganda’s response to Ebola outbreak

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the country had responded promptly and capably, but called for it to reopen its border with DR Congo.Published On 8 Jun 2026The director-general of the World Health Organization has praised Uganda for its response to the Ebola outbreak in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), saying he is “confident” the epidemic can be brought under control.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged the Ugandan authorities on Monday to continue assisting the DRC in containing the deadly disease, during a visit to the country.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3WHO and Africa CDC unveil $518m Ebola plan as DRC, Uganda death tolls riselist 2 of 3Ebola border shutdown leaves goods rotting between Uganda and DRClist 3 of 3How the hosts are preparing for an Ebola outbreak during World Cup 2026end of listThe DRC’s eastern province of Ituri, which sits on the border, is the epicentre of the outbreak. With the region blighted by decades of conflict, the DRC has struggled to deal with the emergency, which has worsened a dire humanitarian situation.However, the United Nations health chief credited Uganda with striking a responsible stance to the threat.“The government has mounted a prompt and capable response to the outbreak of Ebola,” Tedros said.“Screening at the borders helped detect cases arriving from neighbouring DRC, and the country’s surveillance, testing and case management systems are doing steady work.”However, Tedros also urged Uganda to ease restrictions placed on the border.Both the DRC and Uganda declared an Ebola outbreak on May 15. It is the third-largest outbreak in history and is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved treatment or vaccine.Uganda closed its border with the DRC almost two weeks ago in a bid to contain the spread of the disease. The move has disrupted local trade and could have wider economic consequences.On Friday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it was monitoring the economic impact of the crisis on the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan, but added that it was too early to assess the broader effects.