The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak across parts of Africa remains a major public health concern, with infections and fatalities continuing to rise.
The agency’s Director-General, Jean Kaseya, gave the warning on Friday during an interview with journalists, following a review of the outbreak at a virtual ministerial meeting held on October 28.
The meeting brought together more than 42 health ministers and over 600 participants, including representatives of international health organisations and development partners, to examine the spread of the virus and assess the effectiveness of ongoing response measures.
Kaseya said the epidemiological assessment showed that the outbreak had not been contained, with more than 10,200 confirmed infections and over 5,000 deaths recorded across the continent.
He also expressed concern over changes in the geographical pattern of transmission, noting that the outbreak’s epicentre was shifting and required stronger surveillance and coordinated interventions.
The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) accounting for the largest share of reported infections and deaths. Other affected countries include Kenya and Nigeria.
Data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control showed that the DRC had recorded 10,193 confirmed cases and 4,960 deaths as of October 28.
Kenya has also reported nine confirmed cases, including two fatalities, following an imported infection traced to the DRC.
In Nigeria, health authorities confirmed an Ebola infection on October 20 involving a 42-year-old Swiss woman who tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja. The case marked the country’s first confirmed Ebola infection in more than a decade.
The Africa CDC said Nigeria must complete the mandatory 42-day surveillance period before an official declaration on the end of the outbreak can be made.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, in its October 29 situation report, disclosed that 62 contacts linked to the confirmed case had been identified and placed under monitoring as part of efforts to prevent further transmission.
