{"id":2233,"date":"2026-07-16T20:16:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T20:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/16\/uganda-calls-for-travel-restrictions-to-be-lifted-after-last-ebola-patient-discharged\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T20:16:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T20:16:25","slug":"uganda-calls-for-travel-restrictions-to-be-lifted-after-last-ebola-patient-discharged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2233","title":{"rendered":"Uganda calls for travel restrictions to be lifted after last Ebola patient discharged"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"1ae5269a-a6e4-4aa1-b9c4-46d56c1a7f40\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A healthcare worker in protective equipment inspects turquoise gloves hanging on a drying rack\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/cb79530341aecc46d4b7e9071501688efb68c5f1\/83_0_2731_2186\/master\/2731.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372.2043207616258\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">A health worker at the\u00a0isolation centre in Mulago, Kampala, where the last Ebola patient in Uganda was treated before being discharged on Thursday.<\/span> Photograph: Abubaker Lubowa\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"1ae5269a-a6e4-4aa1-b9c4-46d56c1a7f40\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">A health worker at the\u00a0isolation centre in Mulago, Kampala, where the last Ebola patient in Uganda was treated before being discharged on Thursday.<\/span> Photograph: Abubaker Lubowa\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Uganda calls for travel restrictions to be lifted after last Ebola patient discharged<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Country begins 42-day countdown to outbreak being declared officially over, as numbers continue to rise in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Uganda has started lobbying countries to lift Ebola-related travel restrictions after discharging its last confirmed Ebola patient from hospital.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The discharge of a Congolese national from the Mulago national referral hospital\u2019s isolation centre in Kampala on Thursday triggered the start of a 42-day countdown required by the World Health Organization before Uganda can officially be declared Ebola-free, provided no new infections are detected.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The outbreak in the country infected 20 people and claimed two lives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Fifteen countries continue to maintain either partial or full travel restrictions on Uganda after the outbreak, measures the government said have crippled tourism, trade and business, despite the country\u2019s relatively successful response.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The US has placed Uganda on a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TravelGov\/status\/2077414992488329515\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">level four advisory<\/a> against all travel due to the Ebola outbreak. The same category includes countries such as North Korea, Somalia, Afghanistan and Russia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cAs we make progress in managing this disease, we are engaging and asking those countries with a view to opening up so that the economy does not get injured,\u201d Uganda\u2019s health minister, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, said after the ceremony marking the release of the last patient.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Baryomunsi said the country was not yet Ebola-free \u2013 under WHO guidelines, countries must complete two consecutive 21-day incubation periods without recording a new case before an outbreak can officially be declared over.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThis is an imported outbreak. We remain on high alert because what we are celebrating here is different from what is happening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The DRC reported \u2060on Thursday that \u2060the \u200bnumber \u200cof \u200cconfirmed \u200ccases in the country had \u200crisen to \u200b2,073, including \u2060796 \u200bdeaths, as \u200bof \u200b14 July. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, was first declared by the WHO on 17 May.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Uganda\u2019s outbreak has been markedly different from previous Ebola emergencies in the region, with only two deaths and 20 confirmed infections including 15 Congolese nationals, four health workers and one driver.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">WHO\u2019s representative in Uganda, Dr Kasonde Mwinga, said the country\u2019s response demonstrated the value of sustained investment in epidemic preparedness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThe case fatality rate of less than 10% is among the lowest recorded in Ebola outbreaks because the lowest has always been 30%. That is not by luck. It is because people invested in preparedness,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Mwinga said Uganda had established treatment facilities, trained emergency medical teams and pre-positioned medical supplies before the outbreak, allowing authorities to respond rapidly when cases were detected.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The outbreak also accelerated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/jun\/04\/the-race-to-combat-ebola-what-vaccines-and-treatments-are-being-developed-and-how-long-will-it-take\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">scientific efforts to develop vaccines<\/a> against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no licensed vaccine exists.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"bb208e98-62b8-48be-b6e3-03f81de6cbf8\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1oq85qr\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-14 | 14\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1rx5ky9\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-uyoh2p\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/jun\/04\/the-race-to-combat-ebola-what-vaccines-and-treatments-are-being-developed-and-how-long-will-it-take\" class=\"dcr-f35c0u\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-vvxpdt\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6z6e7\">\n<div class=\"dcr-zh9rih\">The race to combat Ebola: what vaccines and treatments are being developed and how long will it take?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-oj13vq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-ef9nua\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Dr Ronnie Bahatungire, the clinical services commissioner at Uganda\u2019s health ministry, said the country had already participated in trials involving experimental therapies during the outbreak and plans to join vaccine studies. \u201cWe will participate at whatever point in time when an opportunity arises,\u201d Bahatungire said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">This week, Oxford University\u2019s Oxford Vaccine Group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ox.ac.uk\/news\/2026-07-13-worlds-first-phase-i-bundibugyo-ebolavirus-vaccine-trial-launched-by\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">launched the world\u2019s first Phase I clinical trial<\/a> of BD-Ebov, a vaccine candidate targeting the Bundibugyo strain, in response to the outbreak, with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/jul\/12\/record-breaking-ebola-treatment-trial-drc\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">first patient already enrolled<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Despite Uganda\u2019s progress, authorities said the threat remains across the border. Baryomunsi said presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and F\u00e9lix Tshisekedi of DRC had agreed on closer cross-border cooperation and signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding, where Uganda has already sent health experts to DRC to contain the outbreak and stop Congolese travelling to Uganda to seek medical attention.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cWe have so far sent 50 health workers with four laboratories and these have been set up in four different locations. We agreed that if they require additional human resources, we shall send more depending on how the situation progresses,\u201d Baryomunsi said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/global-health\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Global health<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/ebola\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Ebola<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/uganda\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Uganda<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/science\/infectiousdiseases\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Infectious diseases<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/science\/medical-research\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Medical research<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Uganda%20calls%20for%20travel%20restrictions%20to%20be%20lifted%20after%20last%20Ebola%20patient%20discharged&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/jul\/16\/uganda-travel-restrictions-last-ebola-patient-discharged?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fglobal-development%2F2026%2Fjul%2F16%2Fuganda-travel-restrictions-last-ebola-patient-discharged&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=global-development\/2026\/jul\/16\/uganda-travel-restrictions-last-ebola-patient-discharged\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A health worker at the\u00a0isolation centre in Mulago, Kampala, where the last Ebola patient in Uganda was treated before being discharged on Thursday. Photograph: Abubaker Lubowa\/Reuters View image in fullscreen &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2233\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2233"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2233\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}