Month: June 2026

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2026 Ebola Outbreak– Is Uganda safe for tourists? Is there Ebola in Uganda

In this article, we try to answer the following Questions: Africa Ebola Outbreak– Is Uganda safe for tourists? Are you safe from Ebola when you travel to Uganda? Will I catch Ebola while in Uganda? How to avoid Ebola in Uganda.

The current outbreak is centered mainly in Ituri Province in eastern DRC. WHO has declared the Bundibugyo Ebola situation in DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, but not a pandemic emergency.  In Uganda, the situation is normal and very much under control.

It is now been close to one month since the first Ebola case was declared in Uganda. The case was of a Congolese citizen who flew into Uganda by charter seeking treatment, having learnt that she had higher survival chances from Uganda hospitals. Unfortunately, she died after returning to DRC. All 19 cases of Ebola in Uganda are contacts to this patient and have been under quarantine since then. Uganda has not had any community infections apart from these contacts. Since June 9th, there have not been any new cases announced. There are currently only 4 patients on admission.

Uganda’s health authorities are responding with surveillance, contact tracing, screening, laboratory support, and public health communication.  Previously, Uganda has had Ebola outbreaks and has managed them excellently. Lots of SOPs just get re-enacted immediately, and it always gets contained in no time. 

Tours and safaris in Uganda are running normally without any restrictions. There are SOPs to keep the tourists safe, but your tour will run as planned. 
 
You can only get Ebola by touching someone who has it,  who is dying, or a dead person, or contaminated objects, or infected animals. No tourist will ever do that. (It is very different if you are a doctor or a health worker, like the American doctor currently being treated in Germany).  For that reason, we are avoiding unnecessarily crowded settings, keeping city time minimal, and reviewing each itinerary by route and date.
 
After your arrival in Entebbe, guests usually continue onward to their safari route, by road transfer or domestic flight, rather than spending time in Kampala or crowded city settings. The rhythm of a safari is different: lodges, national parks, forest trails, ranger briefings, and time with your guide. For tourists or the general public, there is next to no risk at all. 
 
For gorilla and chimpanzee trekking, health precautions always matter. These visits are carefully managed to protect guests, guides, rangers, and the primates themselves. All safari guides have been trained on the necessary procedures needed to keep tourists safe from Ebola.
 
We are monitoring WHO, CDC, Uganda health guidance, and major travel advisories closely.
 
For those who booked tours to Uganda, your tour can be rescheduled to a future date without charges based on the tariffs of the chosen date. If it is totally canceled, we will unfortunately lose the payments we have remitted for the park fees, gorilla and chimp permits, and portions of the non-refundable accommodation deposits we have paid.
In this article, we tray to answer the following Questions: Africa Ebola Outbreak– Is Uganda safe for tourists? Are you safe from Ebola when you travel to Uganda? Will I catch Ebola in Uganda? How to avoid Ebola in Uganda.

Ebola Prevention – how to avoid Ebola

  1. Avoid areas of known outbreaks. Before traveling to Africa, find out about current epidemics by checking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
  2. Wash your hands frequently. …
  3. Avoid bush meat. …
  4. Avoid contact with infected people. …
  5. Follow infection-control procedures. …
  6. Don’t handle remains.