Uganda health ministry confirms six new cases of Ebola
People walk past an advocacy poster against the spread of Ebola virus, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo Virus at the Platinum Medical Centre in Kampala, Uganda May 26, 2026. PHOTO | REUTERS
Kampala. Uganda has confirmed six new cases of Ebola, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 15, the health ministry said on Tuesday, as the UN migration agency warned that border closures could increase the risk of the virus spreading.
Uganda’s health ministry said in a statement on its X account that the new cases were contacts of previously confirmed patients. It said that, to date, two patients have been discharged from hospital, 12 are still admitted, and one person has died.
The UN International Organization for Migration warned that border closures between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo could push people towards informal and less monitored crossing points, increasing the risk of further spread of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus.
Uganda has closed its border with Congo, which is at the centre of the outbreak, in an effort to contain the virus. However, the IOM said monitoring data shows people are still crossing, stressing the need for regional coordination rather than isolated national responses.
“The confirmation of cross-border transmission of the virus in the DRC and Uganda is a stark reminder that disease surveillance is only as strong as the weakest point along a shared border,” IOM spokesperson Zoe Brennan told reporters in Geneva.
Uganda government spokesperson Alan Kasujja told Reuters that the government is trying to protect citizens, adding that it is not unexpected that some people may attempt to bypass official border points.
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday there were 321 confirmed Ebola cases in the Congo outbreak and 116 suspected cases.
