A top health official has cautioned that the unprecedented spread of the ongoing Ebola outbreak could potentially reach the UK and other nations across the globe. Dr. Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), emphasized that international communities are not safe unless they take proactive measures to enhance preparedness and treatment capacities. As the current outbreak reached 10,000 cases, with almost 5,000 deaths, Dr Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), compared the outbreak to the Covid pandemic, which first took hold in China before spreading to countries across the world, claiming millions of lives, and ravaging health systems and economies. “Each country, not only in the African region, but all continents, must now increase the preparedness level and the possibility for treatment. According to kaseya, Leaders around the world should realise that although the brunt of the health crisis is affecting Africa at the moment, the situation could change. “We shouldn’t forget that at the beginning of Covid, many countries said there was zero risk of being affected, but a few months later, they became the hotspot,” he said. “We don’t want to see the UK and other countries become the hotspot.”. On 15 May, DR Congo’s health ministry declared an outbreak in Ituri province, though sequencing shows it had begun in February. Leading to strikes, the response to the crisis has been hampered by inadequate protective equipment and unpaid health worker wages. “The main message to ministers is that they have to understand they could be affected, and we don’t want them to be surprised by what could happen,” he said. Ebola can affect everyone … We need to come together to have a kind of agreement on how to protect each other.”. If we have other countries affected we’ll be talking about trillions of dollars because it will require a lot of support to stop this outbreak.”.
Comparing the current crisis to the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kaseya highlighted the danger of global complacency. He noted that while the current burden is concentrated in Africa, history has shown that viral threats can quickly expand their reach. The current outbreak is the 17th to hit the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and involves the Bundibugyo virus, marking it as the largest and most lethal instance in the country’s history.
Statistics reveal a grim reality with 10,091 total cases reported, the vast majority occurring in the DRC.
Of these, 10,060 cases are within the DRC with 4,887 deaths, while two deaths have been confirmed in both Uganda and Kenya.
The virus, which is highly contagious and spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, has now affected three distinct African regions, underscoring a geographic expansion described by officials as unprecedented. Severe, and often fatal illness, ebola is a highly contagious. Or dead bodies, such as during funeral preparations, it is spread through direct contact with body fluids such as the blood or vomit of infected people.
Despite the severity of the situation, the response has been hindered by significant obstacles, including funding shortfalls, misinformation, and insecurity in conflict-prone areas. Although governments globally have pledged $3 billion to the effort, more than $2 billion of that amount remains outstanding. African nations have contributed $120 million, leaving the remainder to be filled by international donors like the US, the UK, and the EU.
Kaseya stressed the urgency of the situation, warning that delays in funding will lead to higher long-term costs if the virus continues to migrate. He plans to address African heads of state this November to advocate for a “corridor of peace” in conflict zones, allowing health teams access to populations in need. Currently, insecurity in areas like Ituri prevents essential support from reaching those at risk.
Ahead of a meeting with African health ministers, Kaseya is urging for stronger cross-border cooperation, including improved screening and testing at entry and exit points. He underscored that the outbreak is not limited to any specific group, stressing that Ebola affects everyone and requires a unified global strategy to manage.
While vaccine trials for the Bundibugyo virus are currently underway, no approved treatment currently exists, with results for existing trials expected in three to six months. Beyond DRC, Kenya, and Uganda, one case has been documented outside the continent in France involving a doctor who returned from the region in June, and Nigeria recently identified a case in Abuja linked to an arrival from Uganda.
