The Evangelical Health Center (CEM), a new health facility under the Ebola response program in Bunia, Congo, May 31, 2026 (Photo: AP)
The purpose of the East African Community's emergency meeting was to coordinate the regional response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in several parts of East Africa. The meeting focused on strategies to contain the Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus – for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment.
The statement noted that this high-level meeting was part of urgent regional efforts following the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The statement added that the disease was concentrated in eastern Congo, particularly Ituri province – an area with a high rate of movement, raising concerns about the risk of cross-border transmission.
EAC Secretary-General Stephen Mbundi said the bloc is strengthening its preparedness through coordinated surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, infection prevention and risk communication.
"We are working closely with member states, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent the cross-border transmission of Ebola and protect public health," said Mr. Mbundi.
Secretary-General of the East African Community Stephen Mbundi (Photo: The East African)
Key interventions include deploying nine mobile laboratories at strategic border points, activating a team of more than 180 rapid response specialists, and providing specialized training for healthcare workers, he added.
According to the Secretary-General of the East African Community, the EAC is providing personal protective equipment and promoting plans for a regional framework to expedite the approval of Ebola vaccines and diagnostics.
The bloc is calling on member states to strengthen surveillance, raise public awareness, and improve preparedness measures for an Ebola emergency.
As a regional intergovernmental organization, the EAC comprises eight East African nations working together to promote economic, political, and social integration. The EAC member states are Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Meanwhile, health authorities said on May 31 that five patients infected with the Bundibugyo virus had recovered in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The WHO Director-General visits healthcare workers at the Center for Evangelical Health (CEM) in Bunia, Congo, on May 31, 2026 (AP Photo).
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was in Bunia to attend the inauguration of a new Ebola treatment center and to welcome these recovered Ebola patients.
The Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced on May 31 that as of May 29, there had been 263 confirmed cases of Ebola in the country, including 42 deaths.
On the same day, the Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Jean Kaseya, confirmed that as of May 30, more than 1,100 suspected cases of Ebola were being verified.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is raising concerns about the risk of spreading beyond Africa. Concerns have increased after Brazil quarantined two people who had traveled to African countries and showed symptoms suspected of being related to Ebola. While the current risk of spread remains low, the situation suggests the possibility of the virus crossing the African continent.
Source: https://vtv.vn/cong-dong-dong-phi-hop-khan-ve-dich-ebola-100260601194041267.htm
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