Kampala – Twenty-nine-year-old Aisha Nangobi is a midwife, a mother of two and a recent widow who has faced more adversity than most her age. Her husband, the first confirmed case in the recent Ebola virus disease outbreak in Uganda earlier in 2025, fell ill suddenly and died within ten days. “When I was told that there was an outbreak and that my husband had died of Ebola, it was really terrible to me,” says Nangobi. “Firstly, I lost my husband and secondly, he died of Ebola. Those two things were hard for me to handle.”

Nangobi was the first contact to be admitted to the Ebola treatment centre. “Finding out you have Ebola, you are psychologically, physically, mentally gone… everything,” she says. Scared and confused, Aisha had to confront the situation on her own. When her 18-month-old son also tested positive, her strength and resolve were pushed to the limit. “But I had to care for him while I was still weak and sick myself,” she says.

Then came the calls from the emergency response teams led by the Ministry of Health. Dr Chris Opesen, an anthropologist at WHO’s Uganda country office reassured Nangobi and told her about the survivors from the previous Ebola outbreak in 2022. “I didn’t believe him. I thought he was just trying to console me. But slowly, I began to cooperate,” recalls Nangobi. “I am really appreciative because I never thought that I would stand here again.”

Nangobi is one of 10 survivors of this most recent outbreak who are part of Uganda’s National Ebola Survivor’s Programme, a Ministry of Health initiative supported by Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation – Uganda and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The programme offers medical care, mental health support and psychosocial services to Ebola survivors.

“In every outbreak, behind the statistics are real people – frightened, grieving and often stigmatized,” says Ayub Maswaswa, a mental health and psychosocial support professional and member of Uganda’s national Emergency Medical Team.

Maswaswa, along with another 178 first responders trained by WHO and Ministry of Health, has been in the frontline of Uganda’s response to major disease outbreaks including Ebola, mpox and COVID-19.

His work encompasses a wide range of psychosocial interventions. He has delivered psychological first aid, which provides immediate emotional support to people who have experienced a traumatic event or emergency. He has also conducted family therapy and facilitated group counselling sessions in some of the most affected regions of Uganda.

His efforts have helped survivors reintegrate into their communities and he has also supported first responders who often face burnout and trauma. “My role is to help them find strength again,” says Maswaswa.

These efforts are part of Uganda's Ebola virus disease recovery plan, which focuses on long-term survivor support, including counselling, health check-ups and reintegration into communities to address social and economic challenges that survivors face.

“Some of the concerns we have right now as Ebola survivors is that some of our people lost jobs, those who are working part time in private and private-not-for-profit health facilities,” says Dr Ezra Mupakasa, an Ebola survivor and medical doctor at Saidina Abubakar hospital, just outside Kampala. “We need to create ways for people to make ends meet.”

The plan also aims to strengthen national capacity, enhance disease surveillance and ensure sustained prevention and control measures to prevent future outbreaks and manage the health and psychosocial impact on communities.  

WHO has supported the Government of Uganda to strengthen its mental health and psychosocial support for health emergency response. This includes training health workers in the management of Ebola survivors, equipping them with the necessary skills to address both medical and psychosocial needs.

WHO has also contributed to the review and improvement of standard operating procedures such as the livelihood assessment tool, which are essential for the effective implementation of survivor support programmes. In addition, WHO helped establish survivor clinics at three regional referral hospitals and one national referral hospital, ensuring continued access to specialized care for survivors close to their communities.

To support the reintegration of Ebola survivors into their communities, WHO assisted with the preparation of discharge activities, including the procurement of admission and discharge packages, transportation back to communities and follow-up reviews within communities to monitor reintegration and address any emerging psychosocial challenges.

“Surviving Ebola is much more than just being discharged from a treatment centre,” says Dr Kasonde Mwinga, WHO Representative in Uganda. “Survivors also need economic, psychosocial and mental health support as they navigate their new normal. WHO is proud to support these critical efforts as Uganda recovers from the Ebola outbreak."

Slowly, a few friends who initially fled have returned and are helping Nangobi rebuild, providing accommodation, food and emotional support. She says she still breaks down, but she is determined to stay strong for her two children. “I am grateful for the health workers who supported us in the treatment area, with counselling, and are helping us to resettle in our communities and gain our new lives,” she says.