Uganda has strongly rejected what it terms “misleading regional bundling” in Ebola reporting, after figures attributed to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) indicated that Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo together had recorded 263 confirmed cases and 43 deaths as of May 30.
The latest remarks have triggered renewed debate over data coordination and communication in cross-border disease outbreaks.
Uganda’s recently appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs, Adonia Ayebare, issued a sharp rebuttal to the Africa CDC narrative, insisting that Uganda’s situation is being managed independently and should not be merged with regional totals without context.
“Africa CDC. Your reporting is becoming problematic than Ebola itself. Just to remind you that Uganda is a sovereign country don’t bundle us with other countries. Uganda has 8 reported cases all on treatment. All contacts have been traced.
This to remind you that you are an African Union institution that respects member states,” Ayebare stated.
The comments come amid heightened regional concern following updated surveillance data cited by Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya, which showed a rapid rise in confirmed infections across eastern DRC and Uganda.
Health agencies have been publishing differing snapshots of the outbreak, reflecting the speed at which new cases are being confirmed and logged across multiple surveillance systems.
Uganda’s government maintains that its response framework remains stable, with active isolation and contact tracing measures in place.
Health officials in Kampala have previously emphasized that early detection systems along the border with eastern DRC remain on high alert, given frequent cross-border movement and refugee flows linked to insecurity in the Kivu region.
At the continental level, Africa CDC has been coordinating with national ministries and the World Health Organization to harmonize reporting and response strategies.
However, discrepancies in reporting timelines have increasingly become a point of diplomatic sensitivity, especially as Uganda seeks to avoid public perception of a worsening domestic outbreak.