By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : May 18, 2026 6:19 am
Africa CDC activates continental coordination measures; consultations underway on possible Public Health Emergency declaration
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has raised alarm over the growing risk of regional spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) following confirmed outbreaks in both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
On May 15, 2026, Africa CDC issued an alert to African nations and the global public health community after the outbreak originating in Ituri province in eastern DRC showed heightened risks linked to high population mobility, insecurity and intense cross-border movement with neighbouring countries, particularly Uganda.
The same day, both the DRC and Uganda officially declared Ebola outbreaks in their respective territories, triggering continental-level coordination mechanisms led by Africa CDC under its mandate to respond to cross-border health emergencies affecting multiple member states.
The public health agency commended the governments of the DRC and Uganda for their ongoing containment efforts and also acknowledged preparedness measures being strengthened in South Sudan, which shares geographical proximity with the affected region.
On May 16, Africa CDC convened a high-level consultative meeting involving more than 130 participants, including representatives from affected and at-risk countries, donor governments such as the USA, UK and European Union, United Nations agencies, humanitarian organisations, pharmaceutical companies and global health partners.
Participating organisations included World Health Organization, UNICEF, Food and Agriculture Organization, World Food Programme, International Organization for Migration and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The meeting recommended the immediate activation of a continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST) to coordinate preparedness and response operations across surveillance, laboratory systems, infection prevention and control, case management, logistics, risk communication, community engagement and cross-border collaboration.
In view of the evolving situation, Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said consultations are underway regarding the possible declaration of a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), in accordance with Article 12 of the Africa CDC Statute.