The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has commended Uganda’s response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak and called on the country to extend its expertise to neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is also grappling with the deadly virus.
Dr. Tedros made the remarks during a meeting on Monday with Uganda’s Ministry of Health senior technical team led by Permanent Secretary Dr. Diana Atwine and Director General of Health Services Dr. Charles Olaro.
The WHO chief praised the Government of Uganda for its swift and experienced handling of Ebola outbreaks, expressing confidence in the country’s capacity to contain the disease.
“You have the experience and you can do it,” Dr. Tedros told the Ugandan health officials, acknowledging the country’s track record in managing public health emergencies.
He further urged Uganda to play a leading regional role by supporting the DRC’s response efforts as the neighboring country battles its own Ebola outbreak.
In response, Dr. Atwine revealed that Uganda has already stepped up support to the DRC through cross-border health interventions.
She disclosed that Uganda is deploying health workers and establishing a 50-bed Ebola treatment unit in the DRC this week to strengthen outbreak management and patient care.
The Permanent Secretary also announced that two mobile laboratories have already been set up in the border towns of Bwera and Arua to bolster testing and diagnostic capacity for Ebola cases linked to the DRC outbreak.
The developments underscore Uganda’s growing role as a regional leader in epidemic preparedness and response, leveraging its extensive experience in handling Ebola outbreaks to support neighboring countries and prevent cross-border transmission.
Health authorities continue to maintain heightened surveillance and response measures as efforts intensify to contain the spread of the virus within the region.
