EAC Urges Heightened Surveillance After Ebola Outbreak Confirmed in DRC

The outbreak was confirmed on 15 May 2026 by the DRC Ministry of Public Health and is centered in Ituri Province, near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan. Preliminary reports show 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths as of that date, with laboratory tests confirming 13 positive samples including four deaths.

Two laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola Bundibugyo linked to travelers from the DRC have been recorded in Uganda, one of which resulted in a death in Kampala. Officials in Uganda have requested assistance from Russia to investigate the spread. The Russian consumer rights and health protection agency Rospotrebnadzor stated it will send specialists to Kampala to conduct an epidemiological investigation and provide logistical support and diagnostic tests to the Ugandan Ministry of Health.

The EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, said the outbreak highlights the continuing threat of epidemic-prone diseases and the need for regional solidarity. "The EAC remains vigilant and fully committed to supporting Partner States in strengthening surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, infection prevention and control, risk communication and community engagement, particularly in border areas," he said.

The EAC is working with national health ministries, Africa CDC, WHO and development partners including GIZ, KfW and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine to activate mobile laboratories and strengthen diagnostic capacity along the DRC border.

Ebola Virus Disease spreads through direct contact with blood or body fluids of infected people, contaminated surfaces or infected animals. Symptoms begin with fever, weakness and headache and can progress to vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding. The incubation period ranges from 2 to 21 days.

The EAC Secretariat has advised the public to seek information from official sources, avoid contact with sick individuals or human remains, practice hand hygiene and report suspected symptoms promptly to health authorities.