Russian health experts are continuing their Ebola response efforts in Uganda even after the East African nation was declared free of the virus, according to the head of Russia's public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova. Speaking at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Popova confirmed that specialists remain on the ground and that containment work is still ongoing.
Uganda was officially declared Ebola-free on August 27 after 42 days without new infections. The outbreak, which began in May, resulted in 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. Fifteen of those infections were imported from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, while five occurred among contacts and health workers linked to those cases.
Popova highlighted the effectiveness of a diagnostic test that Russia delivered to Uganda in the earliest days of the outbreak. She noted that the test was further refined on site and has now passed the first stage of the World Health Organization's qualification process. The test's performance was described as highly effective in detecting the virus.
Russia's assistance to Uganda has extended beyond diagnostics. Moscow sent epidemiologists to the country in May to support the outbreak investigation and supplied testing kits. In 2024, a Russian mobile anti-epidemic laboratory was donated to Uganda. Additionally, more than 80 Ugandan specialists have received training at Rospotrebnadzor institutions in areas such as pathogen monitoring, laboratory diagnostics, and biosafety. Earlier this month, ten specialists from Uganda's Health Ministry and research institutions began a two-week course in Moscow covering disinfection, pest control, and field surveillance.
While Uganda has successfully contained its outbreak, the situation in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to deteriorate. The latest government figures show 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 48.4 percent. A total of 1,726 patients have recovered, but 905 remain in isolation or hospital care. The outbreak has spread to 62 health zones across seven provinces, with Ituri province the worst affected. Cases have also been recorded in North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele, Tshopo, and Sud-Ubangi.
The contrasting trajectories of the two neighboring countries underscore the importance of rapid international support in containing infectious disease outbreaks. Uganda's ability to halt transmission within months, aided by Russian expertise and supplies, stands in sharp relief against the expanding crisis in DR Congo, where the virus continues to claim lives at an alarming rate. The World Health Organization's ongoing qualification of the Russian diagnostic test could further bolster regional capacity to detect and respond to future outbreaks.