Africa ramps up Ebola response as cases rise

Countries across Africa and beyond are intensifying measures to prevent and control the latest Ebola outbreaks in Central and East Africa, which have killed more than 100 people, following the World Health Organization's declaration of a public health emergency of international concern.

DR Congo's Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said on Tuesday that the death toll had risen to 131, with 513 suspected Ebola cases. Uganda has so far reported two confirmed cases and one death.

The outbreaks, linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, have triggered heightened surveillance, emergency preparedness and border screening measures across the region.

Africa CDC warned that insecurity in eastern DR Congo, mining-related mobility, weak infection prevention systems and intense cross-border movement near Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan could accelerate the spread of the virus if response efforts are not strengthened quickly.

Abdalla Hussein, Doctors Without Borders' desk manager for South Sudan, warned on Tuesday that insecurity and weak surveillance systems in conflict-affected areas could allow Ebola infections to spread undetected. He said fragile healthcare systems in affected countries would require strong international support to manage the outbreak effectively.

"All the conditions we have discussed today — armed conflict, limited access and poor surveillance in some areas — make detection and response much more difficult," Hussein said, adding that humanitarian agencies were preparing for the possibility of wider regional spread, including into South Sudan.

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said: "The confirmation of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus in interconnected countries reminds us once again that Africa's health security is indivisible."

Action urged

"We must act early, act together and act based on science," he added.

Kaseya said Africa CDC had activated emergency coordination mechanisms to mobilize financial and technical resources, reinforce laboratory and surveillance systems and support preparedness activities in neighboring countries.

The African Union Commission Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, called for stronger continental solidarity and coordination to contain the outbreaks, describing them as a major public health concern requiring coordinated continental action.

"The protection of African lives and the safeguarding of our continental health security remain our highest priority," Youssouf said.

The WHO said on Monday that nearly 12 metric tons of emergency medical supplies had been delivered to support response efforts in DR Congo within 24 hours.

The WHO dispatched 4.7 metric tons of medical supplies and equipment to Bunia, while another 7 tons arrived from Kinshasa alongside 35 WHO experts and first responders deployed to affected areas.

Meanwhile, the East African Community Secretariat has urged member states to strengthen surveillance, improve emergency preparedness and intensify cross-border coordination following confirmation of the outbreak in eastern DR Congo.

In Kenya, the Ministry of Health has directed county governments and border authorities to heighten surveillance and screening measures, particularly in areas with significant cross-border movement and international travel.

Beyond Africa, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also announced enhanced travel screening measures after a US healthcare worker tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain.

Ebola is a severe viral disease transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people, contaminated materials or infected animals.