The heads of Africa CDC and the World Health Organization will travel to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo next week to strengthen efforts against the ongoing Ebola outbreak. …reports Africa Daily News Desk
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director-General Jean Kaseya and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will travel to the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) next week as part of a joint effort to strengthen coordination and accelerate the response to the deadly virus.
The visit follows a meeting between the heads of the two organisations in Geneva, Switzerland, where they reviewed the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak affecting the DRC and neighbouring Uganda, and discussed the urgent measures required to contain its spread.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday, Kaseya said the two leaders had agreed to visit Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province and the epicentre of the current outbreak, on July 18 and 19.
“We agreed to travel together to Bunia on July 18 and 19 to meet national authorities, frontline health workers, affected communities, and response partners,” Kaseya said.
“This joint mission will help strengthen coordination, accelerate the response, and mobilise the support needed to stop transmission and protect lives,” he added.
The visit comes as health authorities continue efforts to contain the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, with officials stressing that rapid intervention remains critical to preventing further transmission.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Kaseya called for stronger international solidarity to support Africa’s response to the outbreak, saying greater global assistance was needed to improve disease surveillance and emergency response capacity.
He emphasised that controlling the outbreak would require faster diagnosis, more effective contact tracing, expanded treatment and isolation facilities, and increased medical supplies.
“Our priority is clear: find cases earlier, test faster, isolate safely, care for patients, protect health workers, and work closely with communities. In an Ebola outbreak, speed saves lives,” Kaseya said.
Meanwhile, the outbreak has expanded within the DRC, with Haut-Uele Province in the country’s northeast becoming the fourth province officially affected by the epidemic.
Provincial authorities declared an Ebola outbreak across Haut-Uele on Friday after the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) confirmed seven fatal cases of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus in the Wamba health zone.
According to a statement issued by the provincial governor’s communication office, Governor Jean Bakomito Gambu formally declared the outbreak following confirmation of the deaths.
The latest development underscores growing concern among health authorities as they seek to prevent the virus from spreading further within the DRC and across neighbouring countries through enhanced surveillance, rapid case detection and coordinated international support.
