Kinshasa: The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has raised an alert regarding the growing risk of the regional spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak originating from Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The affected area is experiencing high population mobility, insecurity, and significant cross-border connectivity with neighboring countries, specifically Uganda. This situation calls for a coordinated continental effort to prevent further spread and ensure regional and continental health security.
According to African Press Organization, on the same day as the alert, both the DRC and Uganda officially declared Ebola outbreaks within their borders. In response, Africa CDC, in line with its mandate, has taken the lead in coordinating the regional and continental response to the outbreak, bringing together all relevant partners. The Africa CDC Director General commended the efforts of the DRC and Uganda in containing the outbreaks and expressed support for South Sudan as it enhances its preparedness measures. Africa CDC pledges to continue working closely with partners to provide timely and appropriate support to affected and at-risk countries.
On May 16, 2026, following the confirmation of Ebola outbreaks in the two countries, Africa CDC convened a high-level consultative meeting with over 130 participants, including representatives from affected and at-risk countries, donor partners, philanthropies, United Nations agencies, humanitarian agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and other key stakeholders. The meeting led to the recommendation for the immediate activation of the continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST) to support and coordinate preparedness and response efforts across various domains such as surveillance, laboratory systems, case management, and cross-border collaboration.
In light of these developments, the Africa CDC Director General consulted with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, and the Chair of the Africa CDC Emergency Consultative Group (ECG) for technical guidance and recommendations on the evolving risk situation and the potential need for a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) declaration.
Further political guidance and continental solidarity are being sought from key African leaders, including the President of the Republic of Burundi and the President of the Republic of South Africa. To ensure effective coordination of the continental response, the Africa CDC Director General has decided to cancel engagements in Geneva during the World Health Assembly and will return to Africa to visit the affected countries, support national authorities, engage partners, and reinforce collective continental action.
Africa CDC remains committed to collaborating with Member States and partners to protect lives, contain the outbreak, and strengthen Africa's health security and preparedness architecture.