Uganda’s Ministry of Health has confirmed an Ebola outbreak in the capital, Kampala, following the death of a 32-year-old nurse from the highly infectious hemorrhagic fever.

The nurse, who succumbed to multi-organ failure on January 29 at Mulago National Referral Hospital, had sought treatment at multiple health facilities, including a public hospital in Mbale, located 240km (150 miles) east of Kampala near the Kenyan border.

Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary of the Health Ministry, told reporters on Thursday that post-mortem samples confirmed the Sudan Ebola Virus Disease strain, making this Uganda’s first Ebola-related fatality since 2023.

Health authorities are now tracking at least 44 people, including 30 health workers, who came into contact with the deceased. The government has announced that an immediate vaccination drive will be launched to immunize all identified contacts and curb the virus’s spread.

Atwine assured the public that authorities are "in full control of the situation", urging citizens to report suspected cases promptly to prevent further transmission.

The outbreak comes at a time of heightened regional health concerns, as neighboring Tanzania recently declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, a hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola. Additionally, Rwanda, which shares a border with Uganda, has just emerged from its own Marburg outbreak.

Ugandan health officials remain on high alert, closely monitoring the situation as they work to contain the virus and prevent a larger public health crisis. (ILKHA)