Ethiopia Declares End of Marburg Virus Outbreak
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Following 42 consecutive days of zero reported cases, the Government of Ethiopia officially declared the end of the Marburg Virus outbreak on January 26, 2026. Marburg, a severe viral hemorrhagic fever of zoonotic origin spread by bodily fluid, was first confirmed in Jinka in November 2025. Since, it has resulted in 14 confirmed cases across the country, nine deaths, and five recoveries.
The Government of Ethiopia acknowledged JSI’s contributions to the Marburg response during a ceremony in Jinka on January 31. Working through the MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience Ethiopia project and IMA World Health, JSI partnered with regional health institutes to strengthen the response across the South Ethiopia and Sidama regions.
“We rapidly mobilized technical and operational assistance across six regions, aligning with Ethiopia’s Incident Management System from the moment the outbreak was confirmed,” noted Dr. Yenealem Tadesse, MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience Ethiopia Project Chief of Party. Dr. Tadesse emphasized, “Embedding regional consultants and strengthening multisectoral coordination, the project fostered a unified response that prioritized national ownership and avoided duplication.”
Dr. Yenealem Tadesse (far right) paused for a photo with other certificate recipients after receiving an acknowledgment certificate herself
Dr. Tadesse hailed the outbreak’s end on January 26 as “a testament to the power of coordinated, evidence-based public health action in support of the Ministry of Health.”
JSI’s contribution reinforced frontline defenses alongside the Regional Public Health Institute, specifically focusing on surveillance and workforce capacity. By training 478 health professionals and strengthening community-based surveillance, we helped sustain an interruption of transmission that led to 42 consecutive days of zero case reporting. While celebrating the containment, JSI and the Ministry of Health are moving forward with after-action reviews to ensure lessons improve Ethiopia’s readiness for future health emergencies.
Rapid deployment of technical support, surveillance and preparedness strengthening, and reinforced response coordination protects lives. As Ethiopia transitions from reactive response to long-term preparedness, JSI will continue to work with the Ministry of Health to strengthen emergency preparedness and surveillance and sustain gains in health security and outbreak readiness.