Dr Allan Mugarura had just completed a grueling night shift in the maternity unit at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital when his phone rang late in the evening of 15 May 2026. Uganda had declared an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus.
As a trained member of Uganda’s national Emergency Medical Team (EMT), Dr Mugarura was asked one question: Was he ready to deploy?
He agreed without hesitation, packed his bags and set off through the night for Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala.
“Once it was clear that I was ready to deploy, I was asked to travel right away,” Dr Mugarura recalls. “This required travelling in the night, using improvised means, including a motorbike and a car, so that I could deploy in less than 24 hours.”
The call that tested preparedness
At Mulago, Dr Mugarura joined other EMT members who had responded to the same urgent call but the Ebola Treatment Unit was not yet ready to receive patients. The team immediately began mobilizing supplies, setting up wards, positioning beds and organizing the logistics needed to receive the first confirmed patients transferred from Nakasero Hospital.
Within 24 hours of the outbreak declaration, the treatment unit was fully operational and ready to admit patients.
“The work required being selfless and being able to mobilize and participate in the response in under 24 hours to provide care and save lives,” Dr Mugarura says. “This quick action enabled the Mulago Ebola Treatment Unit to admit the patients within 24 hours of the national declaration.”
The deployment presented immediate challenges. Most of the patients had crossed into Uganda from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo and spoke mainly French, creating a major language barrier, with most responders resorting to the use of mobile phones to translate interactions.
Clinicians in the treatment unit also took responsibility for collecting samples from suspected patients, a critical role previously restricted to dedicated laboratory teams.
From weeks of delay to rapid action
Before Uganda established a standing Emergency Medical Team, setting up isolation and treatment capacity during an outbreak could take two to four weeks. The Ministry of Health had to identify volunteers from scratch, secure equipment and withdraw health workers from facilities that were already overstretched.
The national EMT model transformed this approach. Today, a roster of trained professionals can be mobilized at short notice.
“There is a lot of value that can be attributed to the EMTs,” explains Dr Rony Bahatungire, Acting Commissioner for Clinical Services in Uganda’s Ministry of Health. “Now, only a few members are drawn from any one health facility, so there is minimal disruption to routine service provision.”
From seven trainers to a national network
Uganda’s EMT journey began in December 2021, when the Ministry of Health, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Malteser International, conducted the country’s first regional EMT training in Entebbe.
WHO trained an initial group of seven Ugandan trainers, who then shared their expertise with health workers across the country. The training covered clinical case management, infection prevention, leadership, logistics, mass-casualty events and emergency operations.
Practical simulations in Kamuli, Lugazi, Buwenge and Jinja strengthened operational readiness by testing disease detection, treatment-unit establishment and safe patient transport. Lessons from these exercises informed improvements in treatment-site layouts, tent specifications and emergency logistics.
In June 2024, the Ministry of Health formalized a costed roadmap for establishing six regional teams across Central, Mid-Western, South-Western, West Nile, Eastern and Northern Uganda.
By 19 May 2026, Uganda had 148 rostered EMT members available for immediate deployment. Additional training increased the pool to approximately 354 professionals, bringing the country closer to its national target of 480 members.
Rapid deployment saves lives
The system demonstrated its lifesaving potential during the January 2025 Sudan virus disease response. A 44-member national EMT arrived at Mulago Hospital within two hours of deployment. Within 12 hours, the full team was operational.
The outbreak recorded a case fatality rate of 11.1%, a significant reduction from historical rates of 41% to 70%. Every patient admitted after the index case survived.
During the 2026 Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak, Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. Eighteen of the confirmed cases were admitted to the Ebola Treatment Unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital, where one died, resulting in a 5.6% case fatality rate among patients admitted to the unit.
“These results show that rapid deployment can save lives, but that speed must be built before an outbreak begins,” says Dr Kasonde Mwinga, WHO Representative in Uganda. “When we invest in trained people, tested systems and essential supplies, emergency teams can move within hours and patients can receive timely care. Uganda’s progress is encouraging, and we must continue strengthening this readiness to protect communities at home and across the region.
When readiness goes beyond borders
Uganda’s growing emergency response capacity has also become an asset for regional health security. Following a bilateral agreement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, treatment centers were expanded in Aru and Kasenyi following the signing of the memorandum of understanding on 23 June 2026.
Uganda deployed 55 EMT members to support the two centers, with 27 responders sent to Aru and 28 to Kasenyi. This marked the country’s first cross-border deployment of its national Emergency Medical Team in support of a neighbouring country.
Sustaining the momentum
Despite the progress, important gaps remain. Uganda is working towards formal international classification of its EMT and greater self-sufficiency. The teams need additional tents, generators, water and power systems, and improved warehousing, alongside sustainable financing for continued training and roster maintenance.
“We have built a strong national foundation, but the next step is to make the team fully self-sufficient and internationally classified,” says Lydia Namwanje, National EMT Coordinator at Uganda’s Ministry of Health. “Uganda still needs to close the training gap, strengthen its national training capacity and secure sustainable financing.”
Dr Mugarura’s overnight journey from Mubende to Mulago captures the transformation taking place. Uganda is moving away from assembling emergency responses after a crisis begins and towards maintaining a trained, agile national force that is ready when the call comes.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.
