Newsday, originally broadcast on Tuesday 26 May 2026
Dr Patrick Kagurusi, country manager, Amref Health Africa in Uganda spoke to Newsday on the BBC World Service about the current status of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
He spoke about the current response, the need for coordination between partners, and the gaps where more resources are needed.
<< Click on the image to listen to the interview on YouTube
In the border regions between Uganda and the DRC, healthcare workers are preparing for a possible further spread of Ebola. Amref Health Africa is scaling up its Ebola response in vulnerable border districts such as Arua, Koboko, and Terego, pending final approval from the Ugandan Ministry of Health.
The first weeks of an Ebola outbreak are critical. As long as local transmission remains limited, prevention is still possible. Once the virus begins spreading within communities, containing the outbreak becomes significantly more difficult and expensive. What makes this outbreak particularly concerning is that it involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. In addition, the outbreak was identified relatively late in DRC.
In Uganda, Amref supports:
- early detection and surveillance at border points;
- contact tracing;
- training of healthcare workers;
- infection prevention and protective equipment for frontline health workers;
- community awareness and risk communication in local languages and through local leaders.
In Terego, for example, Amref supports the Ofua Health Facility, which receives many Congolese patients. Due to the intense cross-border movement, these areas are considered especially vulnerable.
Our teams are also working closely with the Ugandan Ministry of Health, WHO, and local governments to quickly identify and contain any further spread.
