Uganda’s health minister declared the country Ebola-free on Tuesday following the East African nation’s latest outbreak of the viral disease that infected 20 people and killed two of them.
Neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo is the epicentre of the epidemic where the number of confirmed cases now stands at more than 3,000.
“Throughout this period the ministry of health maintained intensive surveillance nationwide and no new Ebola cases have been detected,” Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has not commented on the announcement.
Uganda discharged its last Ebola patient mid-July, marking the start of a 42-day countdown before the country can be declared free of the virus.
Under WHO guidelines, a country can be declared Ebola-free if no new cases are reported for 42 consecutive days after the last patient tests negative and is discharged.
The Ugandan health ministry previously said that 17 patients had recovered and two deaths recorded. It said five cases were locally acquired and 15 were imported.
