• Uganda discharges its last Ebola patient, starting a 42-day countdown to being declared free of the virus.
• The country has reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths since the outbreak began in May.
• In contrast, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) experiences the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history.
• WHO warns that DRC's outbreak could be underreported, with cases expanding rapidly.

Uganda has officially discharged its last patient suffering from Ebola, initiating a 42-day countdown before it can be declared free of the virus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a country is considered Ebola-free if no new cases surface in this period. Since the outbreak began in May, Uganda registered 20 confirmed cases, with two fatalities, while no new cases have emerged since June 22, 2026, according to Africanews and BBC.

This latest outbreak in Uganda was linked to infected individuals traveling from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is currently experiencing a surging Ebola crisis. Meanwhile, the DRC reported over 2,000 confirmed cases and 796 deaths, marking this as the third-largest outbreak on record. The WHO has highlighted the rapid increase in cases, stating that the current surge has reached this number in just two months, compared to more than ten months required in previous outbreaks, according to Al Jazeera and BBC.

Healthcare experts express concern that the spread in DRC may be significantly underestimated, citing that approximately 80% of new cases are detected outside known contact lists, indicating missed transmission chains. Furthermore, a recent strike by healthcare workers in Ituri province has complicated the response efforts against Ebola, as they demand compensation for their services during the outbreak, according to Al Jazeera and Africanews.