- Uganda's Ministry of Health issued a public statement after Nigeria confirmed an Ebola case involving a woman who had transited through Uganda in early October 2026
- The infected Nigerian woman had travelled to Eastern DRC before passing through Uganda, but authorities said she showed no symptoms during her transit
- Uganda's government said Nigeria had not yet shared full travel and clinical history, as health officials moved to tighten screening at border entry points
Amos Khaemba is a Current Affairs Editor at TUKO.co.ke, covering political and world news. Khaemba has over four years of journalism experience and joined TUKO.co.ke in 2022.
Uganda's Ministry of Health has moved to reassure the public following Nigeria's confirmation of an Ebola case linked to a patient who passed through Ugandan territory earlier this month.
Source: Getty Images
In an official statement dated October 20, 2026, and posted on the ministry's Twitter/X account on Wednesday, October 21, the government confirmed that Uganda currently has no active Ebola cases but acknowledged that the Nigerian patient had transited through the country in early October.
What happened to the Nigerian patient?
The patient, a Nigerian woman, had travelled to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo before making her way back through Uganda en route to Nigeria.
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;)
According to the ministry, she showed no symptoms of Ebola during her time in Uganda, which authorities said reduced the immediate risk to the public.
The statement, signed by Prof. Charles Olaro, Director General Health Services, noted that Nigerian authorities had yet to share the patient's complete travel and clinical history with Uganda, leaving some details of the situation still under review.
"Preliminary information indicates that she transited through Uganda in early October without symptoms and developed symptoms after arriving in Nigeria. Travel through Uganda does not establish that infection occurred here. The location of exposure remains under investigation. The Government of Nigeria is yet to provide detailed information on her travel itinerary and clinical history which will guide further investigations and any necessary contact tracing. We wish to clarify that, as at the time of this statement, Uganda has NO confirmed active Ebola cases," the statement read.
Uganda's Response Measures
The Ministry of Health said it would intensify health screening at all points of entry into the country as a precautionary measure.
Officials called on members of the public to remain calm while taking basic preventive steps, including regular handwashing and the use of hand sanitisers.
Residents seeking more information or wishing to report suspected cases were directed to the ministry's toll-free hotline at 0800-100-066, or to reach out via SMS alert on 6767, U-Report on 8500, or email at info@health.go.ug.
The ministry's statement underlines the cross-border dimension of Ebola surveillance in the region, given Uganda's proximity to eastern DRC, where outbreaks have historically originated.
Health authorities said they were monitoring the situation closely and would provide updates as more information became available from Nigeria.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Authors:
Tags:
Hot: