Today, 23 June 2026, Africa Centers for Disease Control and prevention ( Africa CDC) participated in a high-level meeting convened in the presence of H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi and Chairperson of the African Union, and H.E. Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, alongside the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, senior government officials, and key partners, including WHO, UNICEF and OCHA.
The meeting reviewed progress made to date in the ongoing Ebola outbreak response, as well as the critical challenges that continue to affect response efforts, particularly in Ituri Province, the epicentre of the outbreak.
Africa CDC welcomed the briefing provided by the Minister of Health and the Minister of Communication, following their recent visit to Ituri. They reported improvements in community adherence to response measures and case management, while underscoring significant challenges related to insecurity and humanitarian needs.
Nearly 900,000 people in internally displaced person’s camps remain without adequate access to essential health services, with Ebola also present in these vulnerable settings. Africa CDC and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs are jointly assessing an estimated USD 1.4 billion required over the next six months to strengthen the humanitarian response, support contact tracing and isolation, and sustain essential health services.
Africa CDC commends the leadership of H.E. President Félix Tshisekedi and welcomes his commitment to visit Ituri, reflecting the highest level of political engagement and national leadership in support of the outbreak response.
Africa CDC also commends H.E. President Évariste Ndayishimiye, in his capacity as Chairperson of the African Union, for his continued leadership, including the convening of the Heads of State Summit on 16 June, which helped mobilize continental solidarity and resources for the Ebola response.
During the meeting, H.E. President Évariste Ndayishimiye mandated Africa CDC to finalize the Ebola response dashboard and lead follow-up on the financial commitments made by partners. Africa CDC will collaborate closely with Member States, partners, and humanitarian actors to ensure accountability, coordination, and the timely delivery of support to affected communities.
Africa CDC remains fully committed to supporting the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and affected communities in bringing this outbreak under control, while strengthening health security across the continent.
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About Africa CDC
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. For more information, visit: http://www.africacdc.org and follow Africa CDC on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and YouTube.
Media Contacts:
Directorate of Communication & Public Information | Communications@africacdc.org, KolyS@africacdc.org
