The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned on Saturday of a high risk of the Ebola virus spreading across several African countries.
Speaking to the media, Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya stated that, in addition to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, ten other countries could be exposed to the outbreak. These include South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, the Republic of Congo, Burundi, Angola, the Central African Republic, and Zambia.
In response to this health threat, Africa CDC officially classified the Ebola outbreak affecting the DRC and Uganda as a "Public Health Emergency of Continental Security.”
As part of efforts to strengthen the regional response, a cross-border meeting was held in Kampala on May 22–23 to improve health coordination, state preparedness, and the rapid mobilization of resources.
The meeting brought together the health ministers of the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan, and resulted in the adoption of a joint action plan focused on border surveillance, coordination of health interventions, and the urgent management of resources needed to combat the epidemic.