By Iyemah David
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has raised the alarm over the growing risk of regional spread of Ebola Virus Disease following outbreaks confirmed in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
In a statement issued in Geneva, on Sunday, it was made available to the Newsmen.
Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, said the outbreak, originating from Ituri Province in eastern DRC, is occurring in a highly mobile and insecure region with strong cross-border movement, heightening the risk of wider transmission across neighbouring countries, including Uganda and South Sudan.
Dr Kaseya noted that on May 15, Africa CDC issued an early alert to Member States and global partners, warning of the escalating public health threat and calling for urgent coordinated action to prevent further spread.
“The affected area is characterised by high population mobility, insecurity, and intense cross-border connectivity.
“This underscores the urgent need for coordinated continental action to safeguard regional health security,” the statement said.
The agency confirmed that both the DRC and Uganda officially declared Ebola outbreaks on the same day, triggering intensified coordination under Africa CDC’s continental mandate for multi-country health emergencies.
Africa CDC said it has assumed leadership of the regional coordination response in line with its mandate when outbreaks affect more than one Member State, bringing together governments and partners to strengthen surveillance, laboratory systems, case management, infection prevention, logistics, and risk communication.
The Director-General commended the governments of the DRC and Uganda for their rapid response efforts and expressed support for South Sudan, which is also considered at risk due to geographic proximity and population movement patterns.
He said that on May 16, Africa CDC convened a high-level consultative meeting with more than 130 participants, including representatives from affected and at-risk countries, donor partners such as the United States, United Kingdom and European Union, as well as United Nations agencies including the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, FAO, WFP, IOM and OCHA.
He said that the meeting agreed on the immediate activation of a continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST) to harmonise response efforts across surveillance, laboratories, infection prevention and control, logistics, and cross-border coordination.
In a move signalling escalating concern, the Africa CDC Director-General said he has begun consultations under Article 12 of the Africa CDC Statute on the possible declaration of a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), following discussions with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the WHO Director-General.
He also confirmed that the Emergency Consultative Group, chaired by Prof. Salim Abdool Karim, has been requested to provide urgent technical guidance on the evolving risk and response measures.
“Political consultations are also ongoing with African Union leadership, including the Chairperson of the African Union and the AU Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa,” he said.
The Director-General further announced he would cut short engagements in Geneva for the World Health Assembly and return to Africa on Monday, adding that he would visit affected countries to support national authorities and reinforce coordination.
“Africa CDC remains fully committed to working with Member States and partners to protect lives, contain the outbreak, and strengthen Africa’s health security and preparedness architecture,” the statement added.
Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal illness, and past outbreaks in Central and West Africa have underscored the importance of rapid detection, strong community engagement, and coordinated international response.
Public health experts said the outbreak highlights Africa’s ongoing vulnerability to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, particularly in the absence of strong local manufacturing systems for vaccines and diagnostics.
The resurgence of a rare Ebola strain, combined with cross-border transmission and limited medical countermeasures, highlights the urgent need for investment in epidemic preparedness and health system resilience across the continent
