Uganda, DRC rally regional Support over ebola outbreak

24 May 2026, 4:54 pm

Byamukama Alozious

Health ministers and delegates from across Africa have called for stronger regional coordination and urgent action to contain the growing Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo strain, warning that if Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo fail to control the disease, the wider region and the world remain at risk.

The call was made during a high-level ministerial meeting on cross-border coordination for regional solidarity held in Kampala, which brought together health officials, technical experts and partners to strengthen preparedness, surveillance, laboratory systems and treatment efforts between Uganda and the DRC.

Speaking during the meeting, Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr. Jean Kaseya, said African countries had learnt important lessons from previous outbreaks in the region and were now prioritizing faster local investment and coordinated responses before relying on external partners.

Kaseya said he had held discussions with regional leaders including President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and leaders in the DRC and Burundi, all of whom had expressed commitment to supporting the outbreak response efforts.

He noted that several African countries, including South Africa and Nigeria, had already mobilized financial support, while international partners such as France, China and the United States had also pledged assistance.

“This is not the first time the Bundibugyo strain is affecting East Africa. Uganda and the DRC have experienced similar outbreaks before, and we must move quickly with resources, tools and technical support,” Kaseya said.

He added that Uganda would host the regional emergency coordination centre overseeing the current Ebola response.

Health officials revealed that the DRC has so far registered more than 500 Ebola cases and multiple deaths linked to the outbreak, while Uganda on Friday confirmed three cases involving a pilot who reportedly transported a suspected patient from Arua to Entebbe without initially knowing the individual’s condition, a health worker, and a Congolese national.

Sudan’s Health Minister, Luke Thompson, called for transparency, solidarity and timely information sharing among countries, emphasizing the importance of involving local leaders and communities in the response efforts.

Uganda’s Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Diana Atwine, warned that continued movement across borders remains a major challenge despite restrictions already in place.

“At the same time we strengthen our internal systems, we also have to support the other side because the problem is bigger there and we shall continue getting spill overs if the outbreak is not controlled,” Atwine said.

She revealed that Uganda and the DRC are discussing plans to establish laboratories and temporary isolation centres inside affected Congolese communities to support faster testing, quicker isolation of suspected cases and treatment closer to affected populations.

“We cannot completely close the borders, people are still moving, so we must continue strengthening surveillance while also supporting the response across the border,” she added.

According to Atwine, technical teams from both countries have already held discussions on operational plans covering human resources, laboratory systems, isolation facilities and coordinated treatment mechanisms.

The meeting emphasized the need for “one coordinated plan, one budget and one monitoring framework” to avoid fragmented interventions from different agencies and partners responding to the outbreak.

Health experts warned that delays in identifying and isolating symptomatic individuals continue to fuel infections in affected communities. Uganda and the DRC are now prioritizing rapid testing, case detection and isolation to reduce further transmission.

Delegates also discussed strengthening Ebola Treatment Units, infection prevention and control systems, safe and dignified burials, and improving water, sanitation and hygiene services in schools, health facilities and high-risk communities.

Under the continental preparedness strategy, countries are expected to activate Public Health Emergency Operations Centres, strengthen surveillance at border points, pre-position personal protective equipment, train health workers and expand laboratory readiness.

The meeting further highlighted the importance of accelerating research and access to vaccines, therapeutics and other medical countermeasures targeting the Bundibugyo strain, while promoting African-led scientific research, innovation and data sharing.

Officials noted that more than 200 partners and responders are expected to support the regional response, although concerns were raised about delays between funding pledges and implementation on the ground.

“We are ready to move with whatever resources are available because the issue now is urgency,” one official said during the discussions.

The ministerial meeting concluded with renewed calls for stronger regional solidarity, with delegates warning that Ebola outbreaks can no longer be managed by individual countries acting alone because of increasing cross-border movement and trade.