Ebola Outbreak in Congo: Is Uganda Ready for a Possible Spillover? || May 18, 2026

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Frontbench, representing the various [music] ministries and answering the questions that matter to us.

[00:00:06]Join the conversation.

[00:00:08]This is the Frontbench.

[00:00:16]This is the Frontbench. We are coming to live on our different 11 radio stations. We are coming to live on our YouTube channel, but also our X handle at UBC TV. Use that hashtag UBC Frontbench. 0709-602-592 is our WhatsApp number. Please be part of the conversation. Ebola outbreak in Congo. Uganda activates high alert. Now, yesterday uh President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni did release uh uh a document, a letter, uh indicating that after consultations with national epidemic response task force uh and religious leaders, we have decided to postpone the Martyrs' Day to a later date, which will be communicated. Now, this decision was made because Uganda receives thousands of pilgrims annually from Eastern Congo, which is currently experiencing an Ebola outbreak. To safeguard everyone's life, it is essential that this important event be postponed. I encourage those who had begun uh their journey to return home, continue uh observing the precautionary measures, report anyone who is sick, and encourage those who are ill to seek medical care. We regret any inconvenience caused by the protection of life comes first. Now, the director uh general of uh World Health Organization, Tedros, Dr. Tedros Adhanom uh Ghebreyesus, uh did also come out on the same tweet, uh replying to what President Museveni uh did tweet. He said, "We thank the government of Uganda uh for their swift action and all precautionary measures to prevent Ebola from spreading further including the postponement of Mother's Day commemoration. We'll continue to work closely together to protect the affected communities and to end the outbreak.

[00:02:10]What does that mean? Now, this is an international concern. I do have the PS, uh Dr. Diana Atwine. Doctor, good to have you on the front bench. Uh thank you for always uh uh sparing uh time.

[00:02:23]How is the current situation like as far as the Ebola outbreak is concerned? Not Not in Uganda, but in Congo, but since we are neighbors, we are one.

[00:02:36]Yeah, um we got to know about the outbreak in Congo on 14th of May.

[00:02:47]And at that time, they had reported a number of deaths.

[00:02:59]And I think to be specific, they were around 80, although quite a number of those were not confirmed cuz they died and and the communities and were buried and and and and they had confirmed 13 positives at that time.

[00:03:18]Uh but uh what we have right now is that that epidemic has spread.

[00:03:26]Initially, it began in Ituri in two areas.

[00:03:34]Uh in the in in in the in the regions in in in Ituri province, but it has since spread to Goma.

[00:03:43]And I think in some other areas, so it's it it looks that this is a wide widespread a problem.

[00:03:54]And and so we need to work together.

[00:03:56]That's why we are very active and and very concerned that we cannot do things the usual way, even here in the country.

[00:04:07]And that's why we have activated all our systems.

[00:04:11]That's why we have deployed people at the borders who are screening.

[00:04:16]And that is the reason we we postponed a very important annual event that that brings so many people, many nationals into into the country.

[00:04:29]For the the time we are in, we couldn't afford to let uh this mass movement and and and gathering.

[00:04:39]Yeah. Uh PS, Uganda has an experience in handling Ebola.

[00:04:45]Uh did the previous lessons strengthen the system, or we still have some gaps that remain?

[00:04:53]Now, the country um has had experience because we have had previous outbreaks.

[00:05:03]And we always handle it effectively in the shortest possible time.

[00:05:12]And and and even even this time, we know that we'll be able to to manage uh this problem.

[00:05:22]We have we have over time strengthened the laboratory capacity.

[00:05:32]Before I think I remember the first outbreak that we got uh in Uganda, we had to ship the samples to CDC Atlanta to be the one to test. Mhm.

[00:05:49]But when I look now at the at the capacity that we have built, we are able to detect any any outbreak within 24 hours.

[00:06:06]Anywhere in the country.

[00:06:10]We are able to test all the diseases that can be tested in the country.

[00:06:18]We are able to do genomic sequencing. Even now we know this Ebola, particularly the the one that that came from DRC, we have already done entire genome of that virus within less than um I must say like 24 hours we are able to do that, which which is not uh it has not been done in any any any place in anywhere.

[00:06:50]So we have built capacity in the laboratory capacity because now even now our labs are there stationed in in in where in Wera, in Kasase to make sure that if there is anything out there we comb it.

[00:07:05]We are we have activated our lab in Arua.

[00:07:09]It is able to take care of that whole area because as I told you Ituri is very near.

[00:07:16]It is less than especially those places where the the first cases were reported.

[00:07:24]It is it is I think less than 100 km from from Arua.

[00:07:32]So we had to make sure that we we station our lab we make sure that our labs are active and we have deployed our teams. We have also built capacity in um in the human resource.

[00:07:47]We have built capacity in human resource to take care of any highly pathogen uh outbreak.

[00:07:58]So, I think we were able to demonstrate that even during COVID.

[00:08:02]When the even the the highly organized, highly resourced, highly technologically cap- capable they were they were they uh they they they this COVID made sure that all countries were on their knees.

[00:08:20]But, we were able to demonstrate in the country that we are able to deal with that problem internally and we're able to minimize deaths.

[00:08:31]So, even COVID, I mean Ebola all the multiple times that we have had outbreak here in the country.

[00:08:40]We have been able to to deal with it.

[00:08:44]And in the last in the last outbreak because we have gained experience and the skill to deal with this epidemic. All our patients that had Ebola in our care all none died in the last outbreak.

[00:09:05]So, it is very important that that that the country gets to know that we have built capacity. Okay.

[00:09:13]Yes.

[00:09:14]Thank you. Prof, uh talking about Uganda's preparedness and uh response capacity, the PS has clearly highlighted some of the steps and how uh we've moved from one level to another to ensure that we combat uh such outbreaks. Let's talk about availability of isolation units and uh treatment centers, surveillance systems at border and health facilities, but also the protective gears, laboratory testing capacity, but also coordination between districts and the central government.

[00:09:47]Okay, thank you. Thank you, Jethro.

[00:09:49]Let me allow first to start with that.

[00:09:53]Definitely on the 15th is Uganda reported its first case, which was a Congolese national, 59 years, who had been admitted in Kibuli Kibuli Hospital.

[00:10:07]And he died on 14th.

[00:10:09]So, we are able to retrieve blood and test.

[00:10:14]And we also did a declaration on the same day, which is according to international health regulations, that if you look at 7 by 7, you should actually be able to detect and notify within 21 day, but also respond. So, we are able to do that.

[00:10:32]And so, within the next 24 hours, we also were able to test and confirm the second case, which is currently admitted in Mulago isolation isolation unit.

[00:10:46]So, that's already shows that its capacity, as the PS has indicated, that we have laboratory capacity. And also have capacity in terms of human resources to be able to to manage this case.

[00:10:57]And and I must say that actually patients we have at the isolation is already on the way on the path to what?

[00:11:05]To recovery. And we pray that she continues to recover.

[00:11:09]So, our we have definitely done a risk assessment.

[00:11:15]And we have looked at that our our western border from Arua up to Kisoro is high risk.

[00:11:25]And we already have been able to deploy surveillance teams in all those districts from Arua, Soroti, Pakwach, Hoima, Kikuube up to Fort Portal and Kasese up to what?

[00:11:44]We have also deployed a lab in Kasese.

[00:11:46]So, we don't need to transport supplies, I mean the lab blood to to Kampala, it can be tested.

[00:11:53]And tomorrow, our lab in Arua will be functional. Okay. It will be working.

[00:11:58]So, we would deploy the epidemiologists who also will have activated the district task forces which are chaired by the RDCs and the secretaries by the DHOs.

[00:12:10]And we are looking at it.

[00:12:13]The most important aspect is that we want to to monitor all alerts. And we have so far by this morning, we have tested I think 16 additional tests, all of them which have tested what?

[00:12:25]Negative. And even this evening, we expect results from from the laboratory.

[00:12:32]So, the capacity is there and we have also trained emergency medical teams which were able to like like in Mulago, when we moved the patient from Nakasero, we were able to activate our emergency teams and within 24 hours, they were able to report to the isolation facility.

[00:12:52]We have been able to identify all the risk contacts, all those ones which we consider high risk contacts and put them into isolation.

[00:13:03]Cuz we and we want to pick them as early as possible before they develop symptoms cuz when they develop symptoms, then they have they have a risk of spreading to what?

[00:13:14]To the to the public. So, so the capacity is there. And in terms of supplies, uh we already have prepositioned preposition supplies in all our emergency operating centers and all our regional hospitals from Arua, Yumbe, Hoima, all of them have emergency operating centers.

[00:13:37]And the the supplies already positioned.

[00:13:40]In addition that, we have already notified National Medical Stores to be able to to supply additional supplies. We also working with the with the army.

[00:13:53]Actually, one of the army has The army has been one of our key partners in response to outbreaks.

[00:13:59]And they also able to deploy, be able to support our surveillance systems across the border.

[00:14:05]So, the systems are working. About ambulance readiness, emergency funding, you know, these are some of the questions Ugandans might be asking.

[00:14:14]Ambulance, we we we have definitely been able to repurpose, I mean, to to redesignate some of the ambulances we have specifically for what?

[00:14:25]But we we will be able to expand or to surge or to increase the number based on the response. Because that on the demand. So, so that is already is already being done so that we have that.

[00:14:39]In terms of resources, definitely the government is normally first funder of what? As as already provided because already the human resource the human the human resources, the infrastructure, the the supplies which you have, those are all resources which we do have.

[00:15:00]Which we have.

[00:15:01]So, the PS has mobilized as you will speak to detail, mobilized resources within the available budget to to at least be able to kick start the response. Okay, PS, kindly if you have to submit something about emergency funding, that is if there is before we go to border management and this cross border movement.

[00:15:24]E- emergency medicine Sorry.

[00:15:27]>> Funding. Medicine is in my head.

[00:15:29]You're a doctor.

[00:15:31]>> Yeah, it is true. We know whenever we get emergency in the country any emergency like landslide or anything that threatens the population we repurpose the money and in this case we have identified some some resources within that we we rather suppress other activities and we make sure that we prioritize the lives of the people of Uganda that are that that are at risk.

[00:16:03]Mhm. And and and so but we are we are also working with means of finance um to make sure that we we we we get more funding and I think in the course of the week because today was the first day. You know, we remember that the uh we made the statement on Friday and today's the first day. Uh so, we we we are still working with uh with the Ministry of Finance and I believe they will they will come through to to to support us. But also we we are engaging the partners um to see what what else they can they can support and today we had a meeting and we are waiting for them to to communicate formally what what they are.

[00:16:44]But for me, I'm not worried. I'm not worried. We have come a long way.

[00:16:49]I've come a long Gone are the days that all the responses of such epidemics we had to wait for partners to do everything.

[00:16:58]But now we know for sure that uh government is taking up a big chunk of that and and and will continue uh because already we have deployed we our our teams uh on the border uh on all those districts. They're doing surveillance especially on all those that western axis. Our teams in Kampala, that's how we were able to track the this the contact that that the second contact of of the the first index case.

[00:17:33]Um because this second patient who tested is is actually a sister-in-law of the first person who died. That's how we were able to to to to track them and and get them together with all the people they used even as they were coming into the country and so we have got all those people. They're in our in our care.

[00:17:55]So, that that work takes a lot of time because people have to move everywhere to comb and and and and and trace everybody who's connected to these contacts. So, all that requires money, but we've already committed and we've already deployed. We have already secured some test kits. We we we we we are now treating this patient in our isolation.

[00:18:21]We have mobilized supplies through some of them from partners, but some are from government. So, we we we are we are in a better position. We we we we are not worried. Before we go for the break up, yes, the local border communities, do they really understand the danger of of the disease?

[00:18:41]We we continue we are going actually that's the reason we are here. Yeah.

[00:18:46]That's the reason we are here and we are going to continue to educate the public. It's not only the border people. Even here in Kampala, I was amazed when we sent out the the the the statement and some people said, "Oh, you know, these guys are lying. They you know, they want the money." You know, all you know, those things how Ugandans can be really nasty.

[00:19:10]But you you can't you can't blame them.

[00:19:12]So, we continue educating the public, and we're going to intensify including all those border points, not just border points. Because now these people traveled all the way across, they moved all the way up to Kampala. Yeah.

[00:19:28]So, and they went to private facilities.

[00:19:31]So, we'll have to continue educating our people to make sure they observe certain minimum measures to make sure that they are safe, they are protected, and we control this outbreak, and it does not come into our country again. All right. I do have some questions and feedback as we go for that break. Good evening. This is David in Sawa in Kabale town. The one of the biggest threats of Ebola should be expected through our Uganda DRC border in Kisoro district because DRC citizens daily stream in in large numbers through Kabale to Kampala by buses. Not less than 10 buses leave Kisoro carrying mainly Congolese. Also, so many mini buses leave Kisoro heading to refugee camps hosting Congolese. What's the response of the PS to that? Okay. Thank you. My name is Karl Marx. My question is uh uh should we expect postponing of the date as students shall go to the go back to schools? I think that is noted. Good evening. This is Afema Aldo watching from Arua city. Thanks for the show.

[00:20:41]What can be done to busier places like schools, marketplaces, and churches, border markets? Please, a hotspot. There is totally no control in here in areas near Arua district. Thank you so much for being