Kampala, Uganda — A senior U.S. delegation concluded a July 11–15, 2026, visit to Uganda,
reinforcing U.S. commitment to Uganda’s Ebola response, regional health security, and
humanitarian assistance. The delegation included Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
Global Health Security Joe Scovitch, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Disaster and
Humanitarian Response Taylor Garrett, and CDC Ebola Response Incident Manager Dr.
Satish Pillai.
Over five days, the delegation traveled from Kampala to the Uganda-DRC border, visiting
Entebbe International Airport to observe traveler screening, the Vurra point of entry to
evaluate cross-border disease surveillance, the Uganda Virus Research Institute laboratory in
Arua, and both the Arua Regional and National Public Health Emergency Operations Centers
teams.
They visited U.S.-funded World Food Program’s logistics hub, U.S. implementing
partners at the Imvepi Refugee Settlement and met with U.S.-funded Ebola response
implementers, including OCHA and humanitarian partners, working to integrate disease
surveillance with refugee response. The delegation also met with Ministry of Health
officials, including Minister of Health Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, to discuss U.S.-Ugandan health cooperation.
“This visit reinforced the strong U.S.-Uganda health collaboration and our continued support
for Uganda’s leadership in responding to the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak,” said
Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy Uganda, Mikael Cleverley. “Uganda’s emergency
response and laboratory systems are strong and effective, and the close coordination we
witnessed, including Ugandan and Congolese health officials working together at Vurra,
demonstrates the kind of cross-border coordination that is essential to stopping this outbreak,”
he further noted.
The United States is the largest single donor to the regional Ebola response, exceeding $370
million to support laboratory systems, surveillance, contact tracing, border health screening,
emergency operations, and community engagement across the region. Additionally, the
United States has committed an additional $350 million for humanitarian assistance in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan, delivered through the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The visit builds on the $2.3
billion U.S.-Uganda Health Memorandum of Understanding, reflecting a long-term
commitment to Uganda’s health security and self-reliance.
For additional information, please contact KampalaPress@state.gov.