African health officials will hold an urgent Ebola crisis meeting later this month. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced the “extraordinary virtual meeting” on Wednesday. It will take place on October 28 to tackle the continent’s growing Ebola outbreak.
This latest epidemic began in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in May. Since then, over 9,500 individuals have contracted the virus. Tragically, nearly half of those infected have succumbed to the disease.
The situation escalated this week with news of the virus reaching Nigeria. A woman who had traveled from Uganda earlier in October brought the infection. Consequently, Nigerian authorities are now actively tracing 44 contact persons. Health Minister Muhammad Pate confirmed officials are “doing everything possible to contain this case.”
However, Uganda has disputed Nigeria’s claim. Uganda previously reported 20 cases during this outbreak. It declared itself “Ebola-free” in July. Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally announced the end of Uganda’s outbreak on August 27.
This particular outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo virus strain. Worryingly, there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments available for this variant. Laboratory tests confirmed the Bundibugyo strain in the Nigerian patient. Olajumoke Babatunde, director at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, noted molecular tests confirmed its identity.
The Africa CDC Director General, Dr. Jean Kaseya, emphasized the meeting’s critical importance. He described it as an opportunity to “strengthen our collective response.” The WHO has labeled this outbreak as the fastest-growing Ebola event ever recorded.
The virus has now spread to four African countries, with active cases in two of them. In a wider geographical reach than previous outbreaks, it affects central, eastern, and western regions. One French doctor, performing humanitarian work in Congo, contracted the virus. Fortunately, he recovered after specialized treatment in France.
Dr. Kaseya highlighted the severity on social media. He stated Ebola now impacts “three regions of Africa.” He urged “urgent action and political leadership at the highest level.” Furthermore, he called for accelerated actions, reinforced coordination, and the mobilization of the continent’s full strength. Africa possesses the necessary expertise and institutions, he stressed.
The WHO, for its part, advised all regional countries to maintain strong readiness. They urge vigilance as the DRC outbreak continues its progression.
