On Wednesday, Uganda announced the end of the Ebola disease outbreak brought on by the Sudan ebolavirus less than four months after the first case was identified in the country′s central Mubende area on September 20, 2022.

According to a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO), it was the first Sudan-related ebolavirus outbreak in ten years and the nation′s sixth overall for this particular strain of Ebola.

Overall, 164 cases, and 55 confirmed deaths were recorded, with 87 patients being recovered. The case-fatality ratio was 47% overall. On November 30, the last patient was discharged after treatment, when the 42-day countdown started with an aim to end the outbreak.

Health authorities′ strong commitment expedited public health initiatives with movement restrictions being enforced on residents of Mubende and Kasanda, two hotspot villages. The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, praised Uganda for its robust and effective response that led to the end of the Ebola outbreak.

The outbreak was caused by the Sudan ebolavirus, one of the six Ebola virus species for which no approved treatments or vaccines have yet been developed. Health professionals identified three candidate vaccines and over 5000 doses of each of the three candidate vaccines—the first batch on December 8 and the final two on December 17—arrived in Uganda. The global health organization stated that the pace at which this collaboration has taken place is a turning point in the world′s ability to respond to rapidly evolving outbreaks and stop them from spreading.

Even though the outbreak in Uganda has been proclaimed to be over, health authorities are still keeping watch and are prepared to act rapidly in the event of any flare-ups. WHO further stated that a follow-up program had been established to assist survivors. The neighboring nations were advised to be vigilant and to keep improving their ability to identify and address infectious disease outbreaks.

(Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/healthcare/news-healthcare/uganda-declares-end-of-ebola-disease-outbreak/2944886/)