Archival Sense
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
- 329
- 225
Ugandans have expressed concern over international media reports that combined the country's Ebola figures with those of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), arguing that the reporting risks damaging Uganda's tourism sector and undermining confidence in the country's public health response.
The debate follows reports citing Africa CDC Director, General Jean Kaseya, who stated that Uganda and the DRC had recorded a combined 263 confirmed Ebola cases and 43 deaths as of May 30. The figures were widely reported by several international media outlets, including Al Jazeera.
However, Uganda's Ministry of Health maintains that the country's situation is significantly different from that of the DRC. As of May 31, Uganda had confirmed nine Ebola cases including one death, all linked to cross border travel from the DRC, with no evidence of sustained local transmission.
In contrast, the DRC is battling its 17th Ebola outbreak, with 282 confirmed cases reported amid ongoing insecurity and conflict in the eastern part of the country.
The aggregated reporting has drawn criticism from public officials and health experts who argue that merging the statistics obscures important distinctions between the two countries' situations. Among the critics is Igara East Member of Parliament P Daudi Kabanda, who warned that such reporting could negatively affect Uganda's tourism industry by creating the impression that the country is experiencing a widespread outbreak.
Some mmbers of the public have called for accurate and fact-based reporting that reflects the unique circumstances of each country.
The debate follows reports citing Africa CDC Director, General Jean Kaseya, who stated that Uganda and the DRC had recorded a combined 263 confirmed Ebola cases and 43 deaths as of May 30. The figures were widely reported by several international media outlets, including Al Jazeera.
However, Uganda's Ministry of Health maintains that the country's situation is significantly different from that of the DRC. As of May 31, Uganda had confirmed nine Ebola cases including one death, all linked to cross border travel from the DRC, with no evidence of sustained local transmission.
In contrast, the DRC is battling its 17th Ebola outbreak, with 282 confirmed cases reported amid ongoing insecurity and conflict in the eastern part of the country.
The aggregated reporting has drawn criticism from public officials and health experts who argue that merging the statistics obscures important distinctions between the two countries' situations. Among the critics is Igara East Member of Parliament P Daudi Kabanda, who warned that such reporting could negatively affect Uganda's tourism industry by creating the impression that the country is experiencing a widespread outbreak.
Some mmbers of the public have called for accurate and fact-based reporting that reflects the unique circumstances of each country.
