Uganda one step closer to ending Ebola outbreak

Uganda on Thursday discharged its last Ebola patient after the individual tested negative for the virus, marking the start of the country's 42-day countdown to officially declare the outbreak over if no new cases are detected, according to Xinhua.

Uganda's Minister of Health, Chris Baryomunsi, presided over the symbolic discharge ceremony at Mulago National Referral Hospital in the capital, Kampala.

During the ceremony, Baryomunsi presented the recovered patient with an Ebola discharge certificate confirming that the individual no longer poses a risk of transmitting the virus after testing negative.

"His current state of health does not constitute a danger to the community and can therefore return to his household and professional environment and continue with his normal activities," the minister said.

"The community and the authorities are requested to accept him in order to promote his social reintegration," he added.

Kasonde Mwinga, the World Health Organization's (WHO) representative in Uganda, said the country was able to contain the outbreak thanks to its preparedness, noting that Ebola response teams remained on high alert throughout the emergency.

Mwinga added that Uganda's preparedness also helped keep the case fatality rate below 10 percent, making it one of the lowest recorded during Ebola outbreaks.

Stabil.Az