As of May 30, 263 confirmed Ebola cases have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, the director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Jean Kaseya said.
More than 1 100 suspected cases are being investigated and 43 people are confirmed to have died as a result of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, Kaseya said in an FT op-ed published on Sunday.
A few other details:
• Kesaya said national incident systems must be activated rapidly and investments in pandemic preparedness must become permanent.
• International partners play an essential role but their support matters most when it aligns with strategies that are built by African institutions and African governments, he said.
• The Ebola outbreak – the 17th in Democratic Republic of Congo and the third-largest since Ebola was discovered half a century ago – is outpacing the global response.
• Health officials and aid workers say they lack even basic supplies such as masks after the outbreak spread was undetected for weeks.
• The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.
- As of May 30, there are 263 confirmed Ebola cases and 43 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with over 1,100 suspected cases under investigation (Bundibugyo strain).
- The outbreak is the 17th in the DRC and the third-largest Ebola outbreak since the virus was discovered, currently outpacing the global response.
- Health workers report shortages of basic supplies, such as masks, following weeks of undetected virus spread.
- Jean Kaseya, director-general of Africa CDC, emphasizes the need for rapid activation of national incident systems and making pandemic preparedness investments permanent.
- WHO has declared the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, highlighting the crucial but aligned support from international partners with African-led strategies.
