Photo by CDC
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Advisory and Technical Council (ATC), the institution’s principal technical advisory body, has called for stronger community engagement, cross-border cooperation and frontline response capacity to contain the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak.
Meeting in an extraordinary session, the ATC reviewed the evolving epidemiological situation and noted that the outbreak continues to spread in a complex environment marked by insecurity, population movements and transmission across multiple affected areas.
Their conclusions build on the work of the Africa CDC Emergency Consultative Group (ECG), an independent advisory body that has already provided recommendations to strengthen outbreak control, preparedness and cross-border coordination in affected and at-risk countries.
The Bundibugyo outbreak continues to affect the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, with a cumulative 681 confirmed cases and 126 deaths reported as of 10 June 2026, representing a case fatality ratio of 18.5%.
The DRC remains the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for 662 confirmed cases and 124 deaths, with Ituri province continuing to report the majority of infections. Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases and two deaths to date.
Across both countries, 25 recoveries have been reported, and 6,525 contacts have been listed for follow-up. Thirty-four healthcare workers have been infected, including 29 in the DRC and five in Uganda.
ATC Members expressed concern over attacks on health facilities, including the burning of Ebola treatment centres, warning that insecurity and misinformation are undermining outbreak control efforts. They stressed that community trust must be placed at the centre of the response through stronger engagement with community health workers, local leaders and civil society organisations.
The meeting also cautioned against border closures and unnecessary travel restrictions, noting that such measures can disrupt essential services, discourage transparency and make outbreaks more difficult to monitor. Instead, Member States were urged to strengthen joint surveillance, information sharing, referral mechanisms and coordinated risk communication across borders.
“Our assessment is clear: Africa must respond with science, solidarity and strong community engagement,” said Dr Eduardo Samo Gudo, who chairs the ATC.
ARC members highlighted persistent operational gaps, including shortages of epidemiologists, clinicians, laboratory specialists, logisticians and risk communication experts, and agreed on the following priorities:
- Expand laboratory capacity in hotspot areas through the deployment of molecular diagnostics and rapid diagnostic tests.
- Strengthen case investigation, contact tracing, laboratory confirmation, isolation, clinical care and infection prevention and control.
- Conduct readiness assessments in non-affected areas and address identified preparedness gaps.
- Reinforce One Health surveillance by integrating human, animal and environmental health data.
- Improve humanitarian access and civil-military coordination to ensure response teams can safely reach affected communities.
The meeting further emphasised the importance of African-led solutions, supported by domestic resource mobilisation, political leadership and sustained financing.
Given the continued spread of the outbreak and operational challenges on the ground, the ATC recommended that Ebola remain classified as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Concern.
About the Africa CDC Advisory and Technical Council
The ATC is a statutory technical advisory body established under the Africa CDC framework. Comprising experts drawn from across the African Union, it advises the Africa CDC Director General and supports the work of the Executive Council by providing evidence-based recommendations to inform continental policies, strategies and emergency response measures.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is the public health agency of the African Union. As an autonomous institution, Africa CDC supports AU Member States to strengthen health systems, improve disease surveillance, and enhance emergency preparedness and response. Source: CDC
