Uganda’s Ministry of Health has confirmed three new cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to five.
In a press release issued on May 23, 2026, the Ministry said the newly confirmed cases include a Ugandan driver, a Ugandan health worker, and a Congolese woman linked to earlier Ebola exposure and contact tracing investigations.
According to the Ministry, one of the new patients is a Ugandan driver who transported the country’s first confirmed Ebola case. Health officials said he is currently receiving treatment.
The second confirmed case involves a Ugandan health worker who was exposed to the virus while caring for the country’s first Ebola patient. Authorities confirmed that she is also undergoing treatment.
The Ministry noted that both individuals had already been identified among known contacts under follow-up by surveillance teams.
The third confirmed case is a Congolese woman residing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to health authorities, she entered Uganda from the DRC while experiencing mild abdominal symptoms.
The patient reportedly traveled from Arua to Entebbe using a chartered flight and later sought medical attention at a private hospital in Kampala on May 10, 2026.
The Ministry said the woman was initially treated and discharged in stable condition on May 14 before returning to the DRC. However, Ugandan health authorities later received information from the pilot who had airlifted her, prompting additional follow-up investigations by surveillance teams.
Subsequent laboratory testing later confirmed that she had tested positive for Ebola Virus Disease.
Health officials said all contacts linked to the confirmed cases have since been identified and are currently being closely monitored by response teams as part of ongoing containment measures.
The Ministry of Health urged the public to remain calm but vigilant and continue observing all recommended preventive measures.
Authorities also called on the public to immediately report any suspected Ebola symptoms to the nearest health facility, emphasizing that early treatment significantly improves survival chances.
The Ministry further stated that it continues to strengthen surveillance systems, case management, contact tracing, and public awareness campaigns in efforts to contain the outbreak and protect public health.
The latest development comes as Uganda intensifies nationwide Ebola response measures, including enhanced border screening, public sensitization campaigns, restrictions on mass gatherings in high-risk areas, and strengthened health surveillance along the Uganda-DRC border.