Today marks 35 days of response since Uganda declared the Sudan virus disease (SVD) outbreak on 30 January 2025. To strengthen coordination and resource mobilization efforts, the Ministry of Health (MoH), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), organized a strategic partners’ meeting.

The strategic meeting provided an opportunity to update partners on the outbreak, review the revised risk assessment, and align priorities with the financial resources needed to contain the SVD. The meeting brought together key stakeholders to reassess response strategies in light of evolving epidemiological trends.

The Ministry of Health’s Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC), the highest decision-making body in the Incident Management System, leads the coordination of response efforts and resource mobilization. Since the last SAC meeting on 18 February 2025, the outbreak has evolved, necessitating urgent action.

In her opening remarks, the Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, detailed the response efforts since the first case of Ebola was confirmed on 29 January 2025. Surveillance has been strengthened through active case detection and contact tracing, while case management and infection prevention measures have been reinforced in health facilities. The outbreak has now lasted 35 days, with 14 recorded cases - 12 confirmed and two probable cases identified retrospectively.

Eight patients have recovered, two remain hospitalized, and two have succumbed to the virus. The spread of the outbreak beyond Kampala and Wakiso to Mbale and, most recently, Ntoroko has increased the urgency to reassess strategic priorities. Dr Aceng emphasized that while Uganda has successfully contained previous Ebola outbreaks, securing the necessary funding remains critical to sustaining the response efforts.

“The country, working with you, our partners, has the capacity to contain this outbreak. The only gap that exists is the financial resources required to do the work,” she said.

The WHO Representative, Dr Kasonde Mwinga, speaking on behalf of partners, acknowledged the progress made but stressed the urgency of maintaining momentum in the response. The expanded technical meeting provided an opportunity to align interventions with available financial resources and define priorities for the next 210 days. With new confirmed cases emerging, the collective commitment of all stakeholders remains vital to preventing further spread and protecting at-risk communities.

The Incident Commander, Dr Henry Kyobe Bosa, provided a technical update, highlighting that Uganda faces a dual outbreak scenario - SVD and mpox. While SVD is characterized by sporadic, multi-district transmission, mpox remains a multi-cluster outbreak with sustained transmission.

Currently, 486 contacts are under follow-up for SVD, with active transmission chains still being monitored. Encouragingly, all secondary cases have been detected among listed contacts, demonstrating the effectiveness of surveillance measures. However, continued vigilance is needed to break transmission.

A critical element of the discussion was the updated 4W partner matrix, a digital tool developed by WHO to track financial commitments and resource allocations. The latest assessment identified 27 partners actively supporting the SVD response.

Key issues raised during the discussions included the need for accurate resource mapping, improved donor coordination, and the distinction between health facility and community mortality surveillance. To facilitate targeted resource mobilization, stakeholders emphasized the need for more frequent situation reports.

Moving forward, partners agreed on key action points: updating the 4W matrix to reflect new commitments, ensuring the timely release of funds, and strengthening coordination through the National Task Force.

The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) will receive targeted support for its response, while ongoing funding negotiations with USAID and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be finalized to secure additional resources.

With Uganda’s history of effectively managing previous Ebola outbreaks, the Ministry remains optimistic that, with sufficient financial and technical support, this outbreak can be successfully contained.