Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said Thursday that the country's Ebola outbreak is receding and the virus is now easy to stop.
The announcement comes as the government seeks to stabilize public health and prevent widespread panic following the emergence of the virus. By signaling that the outbreak is manageable, the administration aims to maintain economic activity and public order while health officials continue monitoring the situation.
Speaking in a national broadcast on June 11, Museveni said that "the fire of Ebola has started going down" [1]. He said that the nation has seen no new Ebola cases reported for five consecutive days [2]. This lack of new infections suggests that containment measures are beginning to yield results across the affected regions.
Museveni said he is confident in the ability of the state to end the outbreak quickly. He characterized the current phase of the crisis as a manageable challenge rather than an uncontrollable catastrophe, a sentiment intended to reassure citizens and international partners.
This optimism follows a period of tension regarding how the outbreak was reported. In May, Museveni criticized certain media outlets for their coverage of the health crisis. He said CNN spread fear through ignorance [3].
The president's current address marks a shift toward a more positive narrative regarding the health crisis. He said that the situation is under control and that the government is successfully mitigating the risks associated with the virus [1].
“The fire of Ebola has started going down.”
The transition from accusing media outlets of fear-mongering in May to announcing a decline in cases in June suggests the Ugandan government is prioritizing a narrative of stability. While five days without new cases is a positive indicator, Ebola outbreaks often require longer periods of observation to be officially declared over, meaning the government is managing public perception as much as the biological threat.
