Africa CDC Director: Ebola Outbreak of 10,000 Cases Threatens Global Health Security

Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, stated on Tuesday that the current Ebola outbreak could reach the United Kingdom and other nations if governments do not raise their preparedness levels. Kaseya cited the rapid geographic spread of the virus as the primary driver for this warning, noting that three distinct African regions are now affected.

The outbreak has recorded 10,091 confirmed cases and 4,887 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In total, 10,060 cases have occurred within the DR Congo, while two deaths have been confirmed in Uganda and two in Kenya. Kaseya described the geographic extension of the crisis as the first time three African regions have been impacted simultaneously, comparing the potential global trajectory to the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The virus at the center of this crisis is the Bundibugyo strain. It has become the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has experienced 17 such outbreaks since the disease was identified. The virus is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or vomit of infected individuals or through dead bodies during funeral preparations.

Health officials in the DR Congo declared an outbreak in Ituri province on 15 May, although viral sequencing indicates the virus was present as early as February. The disease has since crossed borders into Kenya and Uganda. Last week, Nigeria confirmed its first case in Abuja when a woman arriving from Uganda tested positive. France remains the only non-African country with a confirmed case, involving a doctor who returned from the DR Congo in June.

Kaseya pointed to structural challenges that have hindered the response, including inadequate protective equipment, unpaid wages for health workers, and ongoing conflict in the DR Congo. He noted that mistrust of officials, misinformation, and global aid cuts have further complicated containment efforts. Strikes by health workers have reduced the capacity to treat patients in affected areas.

The director general will convene a meeting of African health ministers on Wednesday to push for greater cross-border cooperation. He plans to urge governments to implement screening and testing for travelers arriving from or departing to affected regions. Kaseya emphasized that ministers must understand their countries are at risk and should not be surprised by potential new cases.

Funding remains a critical gap in the response. Governments have pledged $3 billion, but more than $2 billion is still outstanding. African countries have committed $120 million, with the remainder expected from international donors including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Kaseya stated that failure to provide this funding now would result in higher costs later as the outbreak continues to move.

Kaseya will meet with African heads of state in November to call for a corridor of peace in conflict zones. He explained that health workers in Ituri often cannot reach populations due to insecurity. He argued that the outbreak affects all civilians, not just combatants, and requires a unified agreement on how to protect each other across borders. Vaccine trials for the Bundibugyo virus are underway, with results expected in three to six months.