The United Nations has launched an urgent appeal to raise $11.2 million to help Uganda combat an Ebola outbreak that has claimed two lives and put a strain on the country’s health system.

The outbreak was declared in January in the capital, Kampala, following the death of a male nurse at the country’s national referral hospital. Last week, a four-year-old child also succumbed to the disease, bringing the death toll to two, the World Health Organization, WHO, reported.

Uganda has recorded 10 confirmed cases, all linked to the Sudan strain of Ebola, which currently has no approved vaccine. The UN’s emergency funding appeal aims to cover response efforts from March to May across seven high-risk districts.

“The goal is to rapidly contain the outbreak and address its impact on public health as well as the socio-economic life of affected people,” said Kasonde Mwinga, WHO’s representative in Uganda.

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Uganda has historically relied on U.S. funding for its health sector. During the country’s last Ebola outbreak in 2022–2023, the United States provided $34 million to support case management, surveillance, diagnostics, infection control, and other key interventions.

However, the Trump administration’s aid freeze has significantly reduced U.S. financial support for Uganda’s health sector, leaving the country’s public health budget under strain.

Government officials have raised concerns about the impact of these cuts, but Uganda’s Health Ministry spokesperson, Emmanuel Ainebyoona, has not yet commented on the situation.

Ebola is a highly infectious and often fatal disease, with symptoms including fever, headache, and muscle pain. It spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissues, making early detection and containment critical to preventing further fatalities.

NAN