Uganda ends WHO's mandatory 42-day countdown to be declared Ebola-free

Uganda has ended a 42-day countdown to be declared Ebola-free with no case reported in the period, the country's Health Minister said.

Ruth Aceng, in a tweet on Tuesday, hailed the public for its vigilance in helping end the Ebola Sudan Virus outbreak, which was first reported in the country on September 20, 2022.

"Today, January 10, 2023, marks 42 days since we began the countdown to Ebola-free Uganda," Aceng said.

The WHO says for a country to be declared Ebola-free, it should spend 42 days (two 21-day incubation cycles of the virus) without any new cases reported, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the Health Ministry, an official event to declare the country Ebola-free has been scheduled for Wednesday in the Central Region district of Mubende, which was the epicentre of the outbreak.

Health Ministry figures issued as of November 30 show that the country had registered 142 confirmed cases, 56 deaths and 86 recoveries.

--IANS

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