Uganda declares end to latest Ebola outbreak

Uganda officially declared the end of its Ebola outbreak on Tuesday, after the Ministry of Health said advances in epidemiological investigations and the fully characterized nature of the outbreak provided sufficient scientific evidence that transmission had been interrupted.

A statement quoting Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi said that Uganda has officially declared the end of the 2026 Ebola disease outbreak, saying "Today, Uganda is Ebola-free." 

It comes after what the ministry said was the discharge of the last locally transmitted patient, a Ugandan national, on June 16.  However, other media reports said a Congolese national who had sought treatment in Uganda had been discharged at a later date. 

The ministry's "Ebola free" announcement arrives before the completion of the World Health Organization's standard 42-day countdown following the discharge of the last patient in the country.

The long-standing 42-day criterion, while remaining an essential safeguard where transmission is uncertain or ongoing, should not be regarded as the only basis for declaring an outbreak over when an imported outbreak has been fully characterized and epidemiological closure conclusively demonstrated, said the ministry.

The Ministry of Health said the declaration was based on the identification of the outbreak's source, the complete reconstruction of transmission chains, the epidemiological linkage of all confirmed cases, the successful follow-up of all identified contacts, and enhanced nationwide surveillance that detected no further community transmission.

It added that Uganda would continue strengthening surveillance, maintaining preparedness, particularly in border districts, and working closely with neighboring countries. It also reassured residents, visitors and investors that the country remains safe and open for business, tourism and other socio-economic activities.

Uganda declared the outbreak on May 15 after confirming an imported Ebola case from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The country recorded 20 confirmed cases, including 18 recoveries and two deaths.

Uganda declares end to latest Ebola outbreak

The Youyiguan Port, or Friendship Pass, in Pingxiang City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region neighboring Vietnam registered sharp growth in the value of imports and exports in the first half of this year.

The port, China's main gateway to Vietnam, recorded a total import and export cargo value of 364.12 billion yuan (about 53.77 billion U.S. dollars) in the first six months, up 26 percent year on year.

The trade with ASEAN member states dominated the port's performance, with the value of imports from and exports to ASEAN countries reaching 361.4 billion yuan in the January-June period, a 26.2 percent increase year on year, accounting for 99.3 percent of the port's total cross-border volume.

Machinery and electronic products remained the main categories of imports and exports through the port.

To facilitate economic and trade exchanges between China and ASEAN countries, the local customs authorities have introduced a series of measures to simplify the customs declaration and clearance procedures, raising the overall inspection efficiency by 40 percent.

South China's Friendship Pass registers sharp growth in value of imports, exports in January-June