NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 11- Kenya has begun the final phase of its efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak after discharging the last patient undergoing treatment for Bundibugyo Virus Disease (BVD), paving the way for a 42-day countdown towards being declared Ebola-free.
The Ministry of Health said the country would officially begin the countdown on Thursday, November 12, 2026, following the recovery and discharge of the final patient and the release of the last 11 contacts who had completed the mandatory 21-day monitoring period without developing symptoms.
If no new infections are reported during the period, Kenya is expected to be declared Ebola-free on or around December 23, 2026.
“Today, with the discharge of the last patient, we can confirm and tell the world that 7 patients have recovered and all contacts have completed their follow-up monitoring,” Duale said.
Speaking during a media briefing at Afya House on Wednesday, November 11, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the milestone demonstrated the country’s ability to respond swiftly to public health emergencies through surveillance, contact tracing and coordinated interventions.
Kenya’s Ebola scare began on October 6, 2026, when the Ministry of Health confirmed the country’s first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease involving a Kenyan national who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi.
