EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The DRC Ebola outbreak has officially become the largest ever recorded in the country's history, reaching 4,120 confirmed cases and 1,887 deaths as of 6 August. On 5 August, the United States announced an additional USD 242 million in emergency funding, bringing direct US support above USD 500 million. On 7 August, the US further tightened travel rules for returning travellers from the region.

Despite Uganda's 28 July declaration and its clean record, the US CDC entry ban for Uganda, DRC and South Sudan is due to expire on 12 August, making the coming days a critical decision point. Africa CDC and WHO issued a joint statement on 6 August calling for urgent, community-led action to contain the DRC outbreak.

On the aviation front, Uganda Airlines announced new routes from Entebbe to Accra (from 27 October) and to Kigali (from 18 November), ending RwandAir's monopoly on the Entebbe-Kigali corridor.

Rwanda approved the establishment of the Rwanda Nature Foundation to oversee Volcanoes and Gishwati-Mukura national parks. UWA and RDB report strong advanced bookings for gorilla permits through the peak dry season, which is a positive signal for underlying demand.

Stay up to date with our weekly reports, including our archived reports - East Africa Tourism Intelligence.

Read our latest Special Report here: Uganda Declares Its Ebola Outbreak Over.

==End of OCR for page 1==

EBOLA WATCH - Ebola Watch Dashboard

2026 Ebola - Confirmed Cases by Provinces and District

Health zone (DRC) / district (UGA) with confirmed case
Province (DRC) with confirmed case
Province (DRC) / district (UGA) boundary
International boundary
Selected city

DRC data as of August 3, 2026 Uganda data as of August 4, 2026 Data sources: DRC INSP, UG MOH, Esri and Impact Observatory, Europa, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, US DoS

Figure 1: Map produced by CDC on 4 Aug 2026

CASE STATISTICS (as at 10 August 2026)

UGANDA

Confirmed cases: 20 Confirmed deaths: 2 Recoveries: 18

Days since last confirmed case: 50 (last confirmed case: 21 June 2026) National declaration: Outbreak declared over on 28 July 2026 WHO 42-day countdown status: Day 25 of 42 (countdown began 16 July 2026 - last patient discharged) WHO confirmation date: 26 August 2026 (16 July + 42 days)

No new cases have been reported since 21 June. The WHO-standard 42-day countdown, which began on 16 July following the last patient discharge, is now at day 25 of 42 and expires on 26 August 2026, after which WHO will formally confirm the outbreak's end. Uganda's Ministry of Health declared the national outbreak over on 28 July, 12 days after the last case was discharged. WHO has noted that while Uganda's own outbreak is contained, the country remains exposed to reintroduction risk while transmission continues across the border in the DRC. WHO Daily Epi Update (6 August 2026)

==End of OCR for page 2==

DRC

Confirmed cases: 4,120 Confirmed deaths: 1,887

The DRC Ebola outbreak has officially become the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country's history, surpassing the 2018-2020 outbreak's total of 3,317 cases. As of 6 August, the DRC has reported 4,120 confirmed cases and 1,887 deaths. The outbreak has spread to 53 of 140 health zones across five provinces (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo), with 77.7% of identified contacts under active follow-up. No vaccine exists for the Bundibugyo strain, and there is no near-term containment forecast. WHO Daily Epi Update (6 August 2026)

RWANDA

Confirmed Ebola cases: 0 Confirmed deaths: 0

Rwanda remains Ebola-free with zero confirmed cases throughout the entire outbreak period. All national parks, Kigali International Airport and tourism infrastructure remain fully operational. Rwanda maintains a 30-day entry restriction for travellers with DRC travel history. Rwanda is not on any country-specific travel ban list and remains fully sellable for tourism.

EBOLA-RELATED TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY (as at 10 August 2026)

UAE. Formal entry ban remains in force since 13:00, 6 June 2026. Entry restricted for all travellers from Uganda, DRC and South Sudan. Entry permitted only for travellers who have spent more than 21 days outside the listed countries. Rwanda is NOT on the restricted list. Status remains under active review pending Uganda's 42-day countdown progress.

United States. CDC entry ban is due to expire on 12 August 2026. The ban applies to non-citizens and non-permanent residents from Uganda, DRC and South Sudan. On 5 August, the US State Department announced an additional USD 242 million in Ebola response funding, while separately commending Uganda's rapid containment response. On 7 August, the US further tightened travel rules, requiring travellers from the DRC to spend 21 days outside the country before returning home. Rwanda remains at Level 3 - Reconsider Travel. Volcanoes National Park is explicitly excluded from the restricted zone. Reuters (7 August 2026)

Canada. 90-day entry ban for DRC, Uganda and South Sudan residents. 21-day mandatory quarantine for returnees. Measures confirmed to end 29 August 2026. Rwanda unrestricted.

Rwanda. 30-day entry restriction for travellers with DRC travel history in the past 30 days. Zero confirmed Ebola or Marburg cases. All tourism infrastructure fully operational.

Bahrain and Jordan. 30-day entry bans for travellers from Uganda, DRC and South Sudan remain in force.

EU and UK. No formal entry bans on Uganda or Rwanda. Enhanced screening at selected EU airports for Uganda returnees. ECDC continues to assess risk to EU/EEA residents as very low.

WHO position. WHO continues to oppose blanket travel restrictions, describing them as counterproductive and inconsistent with actual epidemiological risk. On 6 August, Africa CDC and WHO issued a joint statement calling for urgent, community-led action to contain the DRC outbreak, highlighting that Uganda's transparent reporting and containment record continue to be cited as grounds for lifting restrictions. WHO (6 August 2026)

==End of OCR for page 3==

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

DRC Outbreak Becomes Largest on Record - The DRC Ebola outbreak has officially surpassed the 2018-2020 outbreak to become the largest ever recorded in the country's history. As of 6 August, confirmed cases stood at 4,120 with 1,887 deaths, a 46% case-fatality rate, spread across 53 of 140 health zones in five provinces. WHO Daily Epi Update (6 August 2026)

US Announces USD 242 Million in New Ebola Funding - The US State Department announced on 5 August an additional USD 242 million for the DRC response, Ugandan preparedness, and regional humanitarian assistance, taking total direct US funding above USD 500 million. The package funds surveillance, border screening, patient care capacity, and public-awareness campaigns to counter misinformation. The announcement explicitly praised Uganda's rapid and decisive containment measures. Reuters (5 August 2026)

US Tightens Travel Rules for Returning Travellers - On 7 August, the US further tightened Ebola travel rules, requiring travellers from the DRC to spend 21 days outside the country before returning to the United States. The move signals that the US is preparing for a sustained restriction regime rather than a near-term lifting, even as the current ban's formal expiry date of 12 August approaches. Reuters (7 August 2026)

Africa CDC and WHO Joint Call for Community-Led Action - Following a joint assessment mission to the DRC, Africa CDC and WHO issued a joint statement on 6 August calling for urgent, community-led action to contain the outbreak. The statement highlights the continued deterioration in the DRC despite Uganda's successful containment, and underscores that community engagement is now the critical factor in bringing the outbreak under control. WHO (6 August 2026)

Uganda Airlines Announces New Regional Routes - Uganda Airlines will launch flights from Entebbe to Accra from 27 October (four times weekly, CRJ900) and to Kigali from 18 November (daily, wet-leased B737-800). The Kigali route ends RwandAir's long-standing monopoly on Entebbe-Kigali, expected to increase competition and lower fares on the corridor. ATCNews (5 August 2026)

Rwanda Approves Nature Foundation - The Rwandan cabinet approved the establishment of the Rwanda Nature Foundation (RNF) to strengthen wildlife conservation. The foundation will oversee the management of Volcanoes and Gishwati-Mukura national parks, consolidating conservation governance under a single institutional framework. Igihe (7 August 2026)

FLIGHT AVAILABILITY AND ROUTING

Entebbe International Airport (EBB) - Uganda

Entebbe International Airport remains fully operational. KLM remains suspended on the Amsterdam-Entebbe route due to Ebola-related crew quarantine mandates. Other major carriers continue to operate normally, including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, and Turkish Airlines. Uganda Airlines has announced new routes to Accra (from 27 October) and Kigali (from 18 November), expanding regional capacity from Entebbe. IATA Travel Centre ATCNews (5 August 2026)

Kigali International Airport (KGL) - Rwanda

Kigali Access - SalamAir continues operating its twice-weekly Muscat-Kigali service, having opened a local Rwanda office to support the route's growth. This remains the primary Gulf-to-Rwanda routing option for WAS clients, particularly relevant for UAE-based travellers who can connect through Muscat. Rwanda remains outside the UAE entry ban, making Kigali the primary viable East African entry point for

==End of OCR for page 4==

UAE-based clients. Uganda Airlines' planned November launch of Entebbe-Kigali flights will add a further regional option once operational. SalamAir (July 2026)

**Cross-Border Ro

---

Note: Full report content truncated. Download the PDF for the complete report.