The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention convened a high-level cross-border meeting in Kampala from May 22 to 23, 2026, to strengthen regional preparedness and coordination in response to the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak affecting Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The meeting, organized in collaboration with the health ministries of Uganda, the DRC and South Sudan, brought together ministers of health, senior government officials, national public health institutes, regional economic communities, technical experts and international partners, including the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
Officials said the platform aimed to reinforce political commitment and improve coordination among countries facing the risk of cross-border transmission.
The discussions focused on key response pillars, including surveillance, case management, infection prevention and control, laboratory systems, logistics, risk communication, community engagement, research, financing and resource mobilization.
Participants were also expected to finalize a joint regional response plan to guide fundraising and harmonize preparedness and response strategies across affected and at-risk countries.
Africa CDC said the meeting would help identify operational gaps and strengthen collaboration between governments, regional institutions and development partners to prevent further spread of the outbreak.
The regional health body has warned that cross-border population movement, mining-related mobility and weak infection prevention systems continue to heighten the risk of transmission in East and Central Africa.
The meeting followed Africa CDC’s recent declaration of the Ebola outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security, a move intended to accelerate coordination and mobilize technical and financial support across the continent.
Africa CDC said member states and partners would continue working together to contain the outbreak, strengthen preparedness and protect communities across Africa.
