By Maxwell Awumah
Ho, June 14, GNA – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Advisory and Technical Council (ATC), the institution’s principal technical advisory body, has indicated that the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak continues to affect the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
As of June 11, 2026, a total of 708 confirmed cases and 141 deaths had been recorded, representing a case fatality rate of approximately 19.9 per cent.
The DRC has reported 689 confirmed cases and 139 deaths, with Ituri Province accounting for the majority of infections, while Uganda has recorded 19 confirmed cases and two deaths.
Across both countries, 25 recoveries have been reported, while 6,525 contacts have been identified for follow-up. Thirty-four healthcare workers have also been infected, including 29 in the DRC and five in Uganda.
In a release copied to the Ghana News Agency, the ATC called for stronger community engagement, enhanced cross-border cooperation and improved frontline response capacity to contain the outbreak.
The Council, which met in an extraordinary session, reviewed the evolving epidemiological situation and noted that the outbreak continued to spread in a complex environment characterised by insecurity, population movements and transmission across multiple locations.
The ATC said its conclusions built on the work of the Africa CDC Emergency Consultative Group (ECG), an independent advisory body, which had provided recommendations to strengthen outbreak control, preparedness and cross-border coordination in affected and at-risk countries.
Members expressed concern over attacks on health facilities, including the burning of Ebola treatment centres, and warned that insecurity and misinformation were undermining response efforts.
They stressed the need to place community trust at the centre of interventions 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 could disrupt essential services, discourage transparency and make outbreaks more difficult to monitor.
Instead, Member States were urged to strengthen joint surveillance, information sharing, referral systems and coordinated risk communication across borders.
Dr Eduardo Samo Gudo, Chair of the ATC, said: “Our assessment is clear: Africa must respond with science, solidarity and strong community engagement.”
The Council further highlighted persistent operational gaps, including shortages of epidemiologists, clinicians, laboratory specialists, logisticians and risk communication experts.
It outlined key priorities, including expanding laboratory capacity in hotspot areas through molecular diagnostics and rapid tests, strengthening case investigation and contact tracing, improving clinical care and infection prevention, and conducting readiness assessments in non-affected areas.
The ATC also called for reinforcement of the One Health surveillance approach by integrating human, animal and environmental health data, and for improved humanitarian access and civil-military coordination to enable response teams to reach affected communities.
The Council emphasised the importance of African-led solutions supported by domestic resource mobilisation, strong political leadership and sustained financing.
Given the continued spread of the outbreak and operational challenges, the ATC recommended that Ebola remain classified as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Concern.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Maxwell Awumah