The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have called for urgent community-led action to contain the worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Following a joint high-level mission to Uganda and the DRC, the agencies urged stronger case detection, contact tracing, treatment access and greater support for frontline health workers, stressing that public participation remains critical to ending the outbreak.
The delegation, led by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya and WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Mohamed Janabi, visited Kampala, Bunia and Kinshasa to assess response efforts. The agencies commended Uganda for successfully containing its recent Ebola outbreak through rapid detection, effective contact tracing and strong community engagement, urging neighbouring countries to strengthen surveillance against cross-border transmission.
In the DRC, officials said insecurity, misinformation, population displacement and limited healthcare resources continue to hamper response efforts. They revealed that Ituri Province accounts for nearly 90 per cent of confirmed cases, while treatment centres in North Kivu are operating beyond capacity. As of Aug. 4, the country had recorded 3,973 confirmed cases, 1,801 deaths and 776 recoveries, with contact tracing still below the level required to halt transmission.
Africa CDC and WHO called for expanded treatment facilities, improved laboratory services, increased ambulance capacity, safe burial practices and better protection for health workers. The agencies also appealed for stronger government coordination, sustained funding and active involvement of community, religious and youth leaders to build public trust, combat misinformation and strengthen Ebola surveillance and response across affected communities.
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