Uganda has confirmed an isolated case of the highly infectious Marburg virus disease after a young child died in the country’s western region, adding a new layer of concern as East Africa continues to battle one of the fastest-recorded Ebola outbreaks in recent history.

The confirmation, announced by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), comes at a time when health authorities across the region are already under intense pressure to contain the spread of Ebola Virus Disease, which continues to affect both Uganda and the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Although officials stressed that there is currently no evidence of wider Marburg transmission, the development has heightened regional surveillance efforts amid fears that multiple infectious disease threats could place additional strain on already fragile health systems.

According to the Africa CDC, the confirmed Marburg case involved a one-and-a-half-year-old child from Kyegegwa District in western Uganda who later died from the disease. The case was detected during ongoing surveillance activities linked to the country’s Ebola response, demonstrating the importance of expanded disease monitoring systems that have been strengthened in recent months.

Africa CDC spokesperson Saran Koly stated that the continental public health organization “stands ready to support verification, risk assessment and response readiness as needed,” adding, “at this stage, we cannot confirm reports of any additional case.”

A representative for the Ugandan Ministry of Health attempted to allay worries by claiming that no Marburg outbreak had occurred in the nation. However, Africa CDC affirmed that although investigations are ongoing, it continues to maintain constant communication with Ugandan authorities via legitimate public health channels.

World Health Organization (WHO) officials have also confirmed that they are aware of Uganda’s reported Marburg detection, highlighting the development’s international interest.

Marburg virus disease belongs to the same family of viruses as Ebola and causes severe haemorrhagic fever with a high fatality rate. Uganda has experienced previous Marburg outbreaks, most recently in 2017, but rapid surveillance and containment measures helped prevent widespread transmission.

The latest case emerges against the backdrop of an Ebola outbreak that has become one of the region’s most pressing public health emergencies. Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are currently experiencing what experts describe as the fastest-ever recorded outbreak of Ebola, with epidemiologists warning that the virus could spread into neighbouring South Sudan in the coming weeks if transmission is not rapidly contained.

While governments continue prioritising disease surveillance, testing, contact tracing and treatment, the crisis is increasingly being viewed as extending far beyond public health.

Meanwhile, a recent assessment by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warns that the recent Ebola outbreak is evolving into a broader socioeconomic emergency capable of reversing years of development gains across Central and East Africa.

According to the UNDP’s Rapid Socioeconomic Assessment of Ebola Outbreak in the DRC, the economic consequences of the epidemic are spreading rapidly through trade networks, labour markets and essential public services, affecting countries far beyond those recording infections.

Ahunna Eziakonwa, UNDP Regional Director for Africa and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, stated that “ebola does not stop at the hospital gate.”

“It affects livelihoods, education, food security, trade, public finances and trust. If we treat this Ebola outbreak solely as a health challenge, we risk missing the much larger development emergency unfolding around it.”
Ahunna Eziakonwa

The report identifies the Democratic Republic of the Congo as bearing the heaviest burden, but warns that neighbouring Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan are also vulnerable to severe economic disruption because of cross-border trade restrictions, declining consumer confidence and interruptions to informal markets that support millions of households.

UNDP Calls for Broader Response as Economic and Social Costs Mount

The UNDP assessment argues that although disease containment measures remain essential, governments and international partners must recognise that the outbreak is also generating profound economic and social consequences that could persist long after transmission has been brought under control.

Even under the report’s baseline scenario in which Ebola is successfully contained within the DRC and Uganda the Democratic Republic of the Congo is projected to suffer economic losses exceeding US$1 billion.

Across the continent, disruptions to trade, transportation and cross-border commerce could reduce Africa’s gross domestic product by US$2.37 billion, according to the assessment. The poorest households are expected to experience the greatest hardship, with the lowest-income 20 percent projected to face a 1.76 percent decline in daily consumption, threatening to erase years of progress in poverty reduction.

The report also highlights the disproportionate impact on women, describing the outbreak as a deeply gendered crisis.

Women dominate much of the informal cross-border trading sector that has been severely disrupted by movement restrictions and border controls. At the same time, women make up a large share of frontline healthcare workers while also serving as primary caregivers within households, increasing both their exposure to infection and their economic vulnerability.

Beyond livelihoods, the diversion of already limited healthcare resources toward Ebola response operations is expected to affect treatment for other illnesses.

The assessment estimates that interruptions to routine medical services could contribute to as many as 2,520 additional infant deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from causes unrelated to Ebola.

To reduce these wider consequences, the UNDP is urging governments and development partners to adopt a comprehensive strategy that combines public health measures with economic protection programmes.