To strengthen the regional response, Museveni proposed establishing Ebola treatment centres inside eastern DRC in partnership with the Congolese government.
“We have lost many who have never been seen like Kibalama, many of our comrades have been arrested and tortured and have spent six years in prison and many continue to be detained like Alex Waiswa, Olivia Lutaaya, Doreen Kaija and others. I want to request you to reject the diversions and divisions and there is no turning back we have to sail on and victory is in sight and we are closer to victory, don't give up,” Kyagulanyi added.
Regional health experts say East African governments are increasingly treating epidemic preparedness as both a public health and economic security priority.
“I don't want to hear that there is poverty in homesteads that have land and yet money is there at the parish level. If you are a minister and I come to your village and people are still suffering, I will sack you. I want to inform everybody that I have been monitoring and I don't want to embarrass mature people. The money is there on the ground; let's use it to get our people out of poverty,” Museveni said.
Health experts warn that the Bundibugyo Ebola strain presents a unique challenge due to the absence of approved vaccines and targeted treatments, increasing reliance on rapid detection, strict contact tracing, community awareness, and cross-border coordination to contain transmission.
As of 2026, Uganda is home to nearly two million refugees and asylum seekers, most of whom have fled conflict in neighboring countries like South Sudan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is not to say that other countries in the region do not offer refuge to those fleeing war as Kenya and Tanzania do so too.