DR Congo: Africa CDC déclare l’épidémie en cours d’Ebola de souche Bundibugyo comme une Urgence de Santé Publique de Sécurité Continentale

# Africa CDC Declares Cross-Border Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak in DRC, Uganda a Continental Public Health Emergency The cross-border spread of Bundibugyo ebolavirus across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda has triggered the highest level of continental public health alert, after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) formally designated the ongoing outbreak a Continental Public Health Security Emergency (USPSC) on May 18, 2026. The declaration, the most severe classification the agency can issue for regional health threats, signals the urgent need for coordinated, cross-border action to contain a virus that has already claimed 106 lives across the two neighboring countries. The designation, invoked under Article 3, Paragraph F of Africa CDC’s founding statutes—which mandates the agency to coordinate and support member states in responding to major health emergencies, particularly those declared USPSC or Public Health Emergencies of International Concern, and advance population health through health system strengthening—follows weeks of intensive consultations with African Union (AU) leadership, affected and at-risk member states, and the agency’s Emergency Consultative Group (ECG). Chaired by leading epidemiologist Professor Salim Abdool Karim, the ECG reviewed the outbreak’s epidemiological trajectory, regional spread risk, national response capacity gaps, and unique risks posed by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain before recommending the declaration. Consultations included AU Commission President Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who serves as the AU’s Champion for Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention and Response. As of the declaration date, 395 suspected cases and 106 associated deaths had been reported across the two countries, with the majority of confirmed and suspected infections concentrated in DRC’s Mongwalu, Rwampara, and Buni health zones in the country’s northeast, as well as adjacent districts in western Uganda. Bundibugyo ebolavirus, first identified during a 2007 outbreak in Uganda’s Bundibugyo district, carries a historical case fatality rate of 25 to 30%, lower than the more widely circulating Zaire ebolavirus strain, but remains highly transmissible via direct contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated surfaces, and traditional burial practices that involve close contact with deceased patients. This is the largest recorded Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak on record, surpassing the 116 cases and 37 deaths reported during the 2007 index event. Cross-border transmission between the DRC and Uganda, which share a porous 765-kilometer border with high volumes of daily trade and population movement, has raised urgent concerns about underdetection of cases as people move between the two countries for work, family visits, or to access care. Northeastern DRC, the outbreak’s epicenter, has a long history of Ebola epidemics, including the 2018–2020 Kivu outbreak that killed more than 2,200 people, exacerbated by ongoing armed conflict that limits access for public health response teams, weak health infrastructure in remote rural areas, and recurring community hesitancy around contact tracing and vaccination campaigns. The USPSC designation formalizes Africa CDC’s mandate to lead and align cross-border response efforts, including the deployment of multinational rapid response teams, harmonization of surveillance and contact tracing protocols between DRC and Uganda, and coordinated mobilization of medical supplies, personal protective equipment, and approved Ebola therapeutics. The declaration also obliges all AU member states to activate national public health emergency response plans, including enhanced screening at official and unofficial border crossing points, and targeted public awareness campaigns to reduce transmission risks. For at-risk neighboring countries including Rwanda, South Sudan, and Kenya, the declaration unlocks access to preemptive technical and financial support to strengthen cross-border surveillance and laboratory capacity before cases are detected locally. The declaration also serves as a formal signal to global health partners, including the World Health Organization, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and international non-governmental organizations, to align support with continental coordination frameworks rather than operating unilaterally, reducing duplication of efforts and gaps in coverage. Public health stakeholders note that the cross-border nature of this outbreak, combined