Conspiracy theories threaten to unravel gains against Ebola
After the outbreak of the disease in Uganda in January, posts questioning the truth of it went viral
When Uganda confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in January 2025, its health system moved with speed. Within days, contact tracing was underway, 192 potential exposures were being monitored, and a ring vaccination trial for frontline workers and high-risk contacts had begun.
But while doctors raced to contain the virus, disinformation was already spreading faster than the disease itself.
On X and TikTok, posts questioned whether the outbreak was ‘real’, recycled unfounded claims that Ebola was government propaganda, and falsely framed the World Health Organisation’s vaccine trial as a population control scheme. One TikTok video which was viewed tens of thousands of times went further, alleging that the vaccine could ‘turn people into zombies’.
These narratives were not new. They were similar to those used during earlier outbreaks, including Uganda’s 2022 Ebola wave, where similar conspiracy theories eroded trust in health measures and slowed containment. But the January 2025 episode is a stark reminder that in a public health emergency, the fight is not just against a virus, but against a parallel outbreak of false information.
At a press conference on 30 January 2025, the permanent secretary of health in Uganda, Dr Diane Atwine announced an outbreak of Ebola in Kampala, the country’s capital.
She said that the confirmed case was that of a 32-year-old male nurse at the Mulago National Referral Hospital. He had developed fever-like symptoms and sought treatment at various health facilities, including a traditional healer, before succumbing to the disease.
He died of multiple organ failure on 29 January 2025 and tests confirmed what the doctors feared — the outbreak had been caused by the Sudan Virus Disease (SVD). According to the WHO: ‘Sudan virus disease is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates that is due to “Orthoebolavirus sudanense”, a viral species belonging to the same genus of the virus causing Ebola virus disease.’
Since 2000, Uganda has faced nine outbreaks — five of them caused by the deadly Sudan virus. In 2022, 142 people were infected across nine districts and 55 people died. It ended in January 2023. It left behind not only trauma, but a hardened health system determined to respond faster and better.
When Ebola returned in early 2025, Uganda’s emergency protocols kicked in. The Ministry of Health ramped up testing and contact tracing almost immediately, supported by $3.4 million in emergency funding from the WHO. The plan was swift and targeted: isolate the virus, trace its path, and vaccinate those most at risk.
Although no vaccine currently exists, a ‘groundbreaking’ ring vaccination trial began just four days after the outbreak was confirmed — an impressive feat by any public health standard. This approach, where close contacts of confirmed patients are vaccinated to halt transmission, was tailored specifically to contain the Sudan strain. The vaccine was not intended for the general public, but rather for frontline workers and those exposed.
By the end of the first month, 192 contacts were being closely monitored.
But while scientists moved quickly, sceptics moved faster
Online, conspiracy theories bloomed. Such conspiracies echo earlier outbreaks, especially the 2022 Ebola wave, when disinformation portrayed the virus as mere government propaganda.
On X, some users questioned how a vaccine could be ready ‘so quickly’ — ignoring the fact that clinical research on Sudan Ebola vaccines has been underway for years. Others spread unfounded fears about the WHO, suggesting the vaccine was a means of population control. One TikTok video, viewed tens of thousands of times, falsely warned that the vaccine could ‘turn people into zombies’.
One of the most widely shared falsehoods on X claimed that Uganda had declared itself ‘Ebola-free’ just six days after receiving $2 million from the WHO. Other narratives went further, accusing the government of fabricating the 2025 Ebola outbreak to siphon money from global health agencies.
These claims tapped into real public fears: Uganda has faced multiple corruption scandals involving stolen health funds, and mistrust runs deep. Many citizens believe that money meant to improve lives is routinely diverted — and this time, Ebola became the vehicle for suspicion.
Uganda’s Health Minister, Dr Jane Ruth Achieng, publicly refuted the accusations, calling them dangerous and unfounded. In March, PesaCheck — Africa’s largest fact-checking organisation — also debunked the claim, confirming that no ‘Ebola-free’ declaration had been made. In fact, the outbreak was still active.
The emerging disinformation narratives could have been significant hurdles in managing the 2025 outbreak.
This digital disinformation threatened to unravel the gains Uganda had made against the disease. In a region where health workers still battle memories of past trauma and mistrust, every false claim carries real-world risks: delayed treatment, skipped vaccinations, and lives lost to hesitation.
Fear of the unknown stirs hesitancy within the community. Speaking to Al Jazeera, a 32-year-old Ebola survivor from 2022 testified that his fear of treatment stemmed from conspiracy theories in his community about people dying after being injected against the virus.
In late April, once Uganda declared itself Ebola-free, TruthAfrica spoke to Marion Nakyeyune, a frontline responder from the ministry of health’s emergency medical department. She called the rapid containment ‘a critical victory’, but cautioned that the fight wasn’t over.
‘People need to stay vigilant,’ she said. ‘Not just with hygiene and surroundings — but with the information they trust.’
The virus may have been contained. But the misinformation — like all dangerous ideas — still lingers.
This article was written by Edward Tumwine and Bella Twine, freelance journalists working with the Pravda Association, and edited by senior editor Eva Vajda.