Uganda has distanced itself from a U.S plan to roll out Ebola response clinics in the country, saying it was never consulted about the move, triggering a growing dispute over how the outbreak response is being managed.
In a statement on May 21, the U.S Department of State said it would fund the establishment of up to 50 treatment clinics in Ebola-affected regions of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), adding that the facilities would strengthen containment and expand access to care.
But Uganda’s Ministry of Health quickly distanced itself from the announcement, insisting that it had not been engaged in any discussions and did not know where such centers would be established in the country.
“Regarding Uganda, the Ministry of Health has not been engaged on the establishment of the treatment centers referred to here, and we are therefore not aware of where they may have been set up within the country,” the Uganda Ministry of Health stated.
Consultation Dispute Raises Concern
Ugandan authorities have also pointed to the limited scale of the outbreak within the country, saying the situation remains under control.
“We continue to affirm that Uganda has so far registered only two imported Ebola cases: one fatality and one patient currently responding well to treatment under close medical care. There are no local infections and the country remains safe,” the Ministry of Health said.
According to the US Foreign Assistance, the move to build the clinics is designed to support early containment efforts and avoid a wider regional spread, drawing on lessons from past Ebola outbreaks in which delayed responses led to rapid escalation.
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In its communication, the State Department said the clinics would be rapidly deployed to provide screening, triage, and isolation services, forming the first line of defense in affected areas.
“These rapidly deployed clinics are intended to strengthen outbreak containment, expand access to care, and ensure critical resources reach the most affected communities,” the United States said, adding that the facilities would also support the delivery of emergency medical care and life-saving humanitarian assistance.
The US further indicated that the funding would help expand treatment capacity, strengthen field operations, and speed up the delivery of protective equipment, diagnostics, and essential health services to communities where they are needed most.
This approach, it said, should send a clear message that the United States has an ironclad commitment to ensuring this response is fully resourced, rapid, and cooperative between key global health and humanitarian partners.
The United States said the funding will be delivered primarily through the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), a pooled funding mechanism administered by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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It said this builds on its partnership with OCHA to deliver life-saving assistance faster, more efficiently, and with greater accountability.
WHO on Ebola Treatment
The World Health Organization has said that a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain will take at least six to nine months before deployment, leaving health officials without a licensed vaccine during the current outbreak.
WHO and aid agencies now estimate the outbreak may already exceed 600 suspected cases with about 139 suspected deaths, making it the largest known outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain.
Unfortunately, response teams in eastern DRC are facing acute shortages of face masks, PPE kits, painkillers, and motorbikes used for contact tracing.
Health facilities in Ituri are reportedly overwhelmed, with at least one reported case in Goma, heightening fears because Goma is a major regional transit city near Rwanda and Uganda.
