Russia helping Uganda contain Ebola threat
Russian medical specialists are working alongside Ugandan health workers to strengthen disease surveillance, treatment capacity, and outbreak response efforts as the East African nation battles the ongoing threat of Ebola, RT correspondent Hasifu Ssekiwunga has reported.
According to Uganda’s Health Ministry, many suspected cases have been linked to people crossing into the country from neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), including through unofficial border routes.
The threat is particularly acute in districts bordering the DR Congo, where authorities have reinforced surveillance and disease-control measures. In response, Uganda has tightened monitoring at border checkpoints and worked with Congolese authorities to establish emergency health facilities.
Ssekiwunga has reported that preventive measures have been intensified across affected areas. Mandatory handwashing, temperature screening, face-mask use, and public awareness campaigns have been rolled out as health workers seek to identify and isolate potential cases.
The cooperation is also expanding into diagnostics. Russia’s public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, announced on Thursday that Russian and Ugandan scientists are developing a test kit to detect antibodies to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Russian-made PCR tests have also been deployed in Uganda and neighboring DR Congo.
In 2024, Russia transferred a mobile anti-epidemic laboratory to Uganda, enabling rapid diagnostics of dangerous infectious diseases. The facility was already used in 2025 to help contain a previous Ebola outbreak.
The DR Congo declared an Ebola outbreak on May 15, marking the country’s 17th recorded outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 1976. The Bundibugyo strain detected in the DR Congo has also raised concerns among regional health authorities due to the risk of cross-border transmission.
According to the latest Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) update released on June 10, Uganda has recorded 19 confirmed Ebola cases linked to the current outbreak. Two deaths have been reported among confirmed cases, while four patients have recovered.
The situation remains more severe across the border in the DR Congo. According to the country’s Health Ministry, two additional health zones – Nia-Nia in Ituri Province and Mabalako in North Kivu – were added to the list of affected areas on June 13. So far, 782 Ebola cases and 181 deaths have been recorded nationwide.
