Uganda’s Ebola response: A triumph of visionary leadership and national unity
As we celebrate our resilience in the face of the Ebola epidemic, we must remember that this progress has not occurred by chance.
Milly Babirye Babalanda.
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OPINION
By Milly Babirye Babalanda
Just when Uganda was on the verge of celebrating yet another major public health victory, an imported Ebola case reminded us that epidemics do not respect borders. After going an impressive 46 consecutive days without registering a single Ebola case, our country confirmed an imported case on June 21 involving a Congolese national. While this meant that Uganda narrowly missed being officially declared Ebola free, the broader picture remains one of remarkable success.
Most importantly, no new case has since been confirmed, demonstrating that Uganda’s containment strategy remains highly effective and capable of preventing isolated imported infections from escalating into widespread community transmission.
Rather than dampening our spirits, this development should reinforce confidence in our President and in the country’s public health system. It demonstrates that our surveillance mechanisms, as championed by our President, are functioning as intended; our border health measures remain alert; and our rapid response teams are fully prepared to detect, isolate and manage cases before they can spread. This is precisely how a resilient public health system should operate.
True champions against epidemics
Every epidemic tests the resilience of a nation. It challenges governments, strains economies, disrupts livelihoods and places enormous emotional burdens on families. Ebola, like COVID-19 before it, has demanded difficult decisions and extraordinary sacrifices. Yet, once again, Uganda has demonstrated that when decisive leadership is matched with disciplined institutions and patriotic citizens, even the most dangerous outbreaks can be contained.
We particularly sympathise with those whose opportunities were affected by the necessary public health measures. Tourism operators experienced guest cancellations following precautionary travel advisories issued by some foreign governments. Consequently, hotels, tour companies, transport providers and communities that depend on tourism have suffered avoidable losses despite Uganda’s strong management of the outbreak.
Likewise, many Ugandans with international engagements faced temporary disruptions. Ugandan journalists who had prepared to travel abroad to cover major international sporting events, including the ongoing World Cup, found themselves subject to quarantine requirements before travelling to their host countries. Businesspeople, students, sports personalities and many others postponed important engagements in the interest of protecting public health.
All is not lost
The greatest consolation we have as a nation is that these sacrifices have not been in vain. Indeed, the fact that Uganda successfully went 46 days without a single Ebola case before detecting an imported infection is itself powerful evidence that our response plan is working. Even more encouraging is that the imported case did not trigger a resurgence of infections. That is exactly what effective epidemic containment is intended to achieve. This achievement should restore confidence among Ugandans and reassure the international community that there is no cause for alarm. Uganda remains safe, vigilant and fully capable of responding swiftly whenever isolated public health threats arise.
For our tourism sector especially, this is welcome news. Tourism remains one of Uganda’s leading foreign exchange earners and a major source of employment, having contributed over sh6 trillion to our GDP in 2025. As confidence continues to return, our magnificent national parks, wildlife, cultural heritage, hospitality industry and conference facilities are well positioned to welcome visitors once again. Investors, development partners and international travellers can equally take comfort in Uganda’s demonstrated capacity to manage public health risks professionally and effectively.
Our president, our protector
As we celebrate our resilience in the face of the Ebola epidemic, we must remember that this progress has not occurred by chance. Rather, it is the result of deliberate leadership and timely intervention by our President, Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. The President has consistently championed preparedness, prevention and coordinated epidemic response over many years, underscoring his steadfast commitment to strengthening Uganda’s capacity to combat infectious diseases. It is therefore no surprise that he has received global recognition and awards as a champion in the fight against epidemics and pandemics.
As has been the case before, the President has once again demonstrated the value of acting decisively and placing the protection of human life above temporary inconvenience. Our ability to contain this Ebola outbreak is directly attributable to the travel restrictions, strengthened surveillance at our border points, intensified community sensitisation, co-ordinated security support and robust public health interventions that he guided at the onset of the outbreak and continues to guide. On this note, I equally salute our health workers, scientists, laboratory teams, surveillance officers, district leaders, security agencies, development partners, religious leaders, cultural institutions and the media for advancing and reinforcing the President’s commitment to protecting our people.
We demonstrated this same spirit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although lockdowns and other restrictions were difficult, Ugandans embraced them because they understood that safeguarding lives ultimately safeguards livelihoods. The experience gained during COVID-19 strengthened our preparedness and has significantly enhanced our ability to respond swiftly to subsequent outbreaks, including this Ebola outbreak.
Let us not lower our guard
As we celebrate the success of our containment efforts, we must remain vigilant. The imported case reminds us that diseases can still cross borders, making continuous surveillance, regional co-operation and public awareness indispensable.
Nevertheless, the facts speak for themselves. Uganda’s containment plan has worked. An imported infection was detected, swiftly managed and prevented from spreading. That is not a sign of weakness — it is evidence of a mature, responsive and resilient health system.
As normalcy steadily returns, let us seize this opportunity to rebuild our economy, revitalise tourism, strengthen investor confidence and continue working together to realise our national development aspirations.
The greatest lesson from this experience is simple: when Uganda unites behind visionary leadership, trusted science and collective responsibility, we are capable of overcoming even the greatest challenges. There is every reason for confidence, every reason for optimism, and every reason to continue moving our country forward.
May the Lord continue protecting our President and our country.
The author is the Minister for the Presidency and Budhiope West MP