Uganda’s Ministry of Successfully being, with toughen from World Successfully being Organization (WHO) and partners, concluded a three-day After-Action Overview (AAR) on 20 June 2025 to mirror on the nation’s response to the recent Ebola outbreak.
The outbreak, declared on 30 January 2025, affected seven districts and three cities; Kampala, Mbale (district and city), Wakiso, Jinja (district and city), Ntoroko, Fortress Portal, and Kyegegwa. In total, 14 cases had been reported (12 confirmed and two in all probability). Ten people recovered from the infection, and 534 contacts had been identified and intently monitored. The outbreak became once declared over on 26 April 2025 by Successfully being Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, after a 42-day countdown following the discharge of the closing confirmed case.
Uganda voluntarily conducted the Ebola outbreak AAR as suggested by International Successfully being Regulations (IHR) Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. The IHR (2005) information nations in managing public properly being emergencies that personal the aptitude to imperfect borders.
“The AAR activity is reflective in nature and helps in getting ready better for future outbreaks with proof by identifying what labored, what didn’t, and the attach learn can information a stronger, more suggested response,” acknowledged Dr Charles Olaro, Director-Common of Successfully being Companies and products.
The evaluate brought together technical experts, properly being workers, district assignment forces, incident commanders, and neighborhood and political leaders from affected areas. It coated all key response pillars together with coordination, surveillance, laboratory, case management, infection prevention and control, vaccination, threat communication, and neighborhood engagement.
“Because the funding landscape evolves, we must restful be more strategic than ever. We must leverage what we already personal: the dedication of our properly being workers, the infrastructure constructed for the duration of past responses, and the neighborhood networks that personal consistently served as our first line of defense,” acknowledged Dr Kasonde Mwinga, WHO Representative in Uganda. “Every decision, every intervention, and each shilling must restful be directed the attach it goes to personal the ideal impact.”
Dr Mwinga additionally impressed contributors to explore factors that shaped the outbreak’s trajectory. These incorporated the comparatively low case fatality payment and restricted unfold, the role of preparedness and early quarantine, the aptitude decrease virulence of the virus, and the effectiveness of case management. She additionally highlighted the need to assess the impact of compassionate antiviral exercise, the vaccination trial, and in all probability pre-existing immunity.
Uganda’s abilities in managing outbreaks enabled a fast, coordinated and effective response. With toughen from WHO and partners, the Ministry of Successfully being activated national coordination structures, deployed fast response teams, bolstered surveillance, and established treatment items.
WHO deployed 129 workers, and 165 fast response crew contributors together with trainees from African Volunteer Successfully being Corps/ Strengthening and The exercise of Response Groups for Emergencies ( AVoHC SURGE) crew to affected areas to cope with signals, hint contacts, and produce definite no case went undetected. Screening became once enforced at 13 entry facets, together with Entebbe Airport. Seventy-eight WHO-supported Emergency Clinical Teams ensured actual patient transport and care. WHO additionally deployed anthropologists, threat communication experts, and neighborhood engagement teams to address stigma, misinformation, and produce public belief while reinforcing security practices.
To toughen the national response, WHO mobilized $7.35 million from within funding sources- WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies and from partners and donors. This, along with in-form contributions of very necessary medicines, gives, and equipment, became once a must-personal in placing forward the momentum of operations.
WHO acknowledges the generous toughen from partners together with Germany, Norway, Ireland, Canada, France, Unique Zealand, Kuwait, Portugal, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Estonia, and the WHO Foundation. Additional contributions came from the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, European Commission – Successfully being Emergency Preparedness and Response (HERA), International Vogue Learn Centre, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Wait on Operations (DG ECHO) and African Public Successfully being Emergency Fund.
