KIGALI: The African Union’s health agency warned on Saturday that 10 African countries were at risk from the growing Ebola outbreak centred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as Uganda confirmed new infections and aid agencies reported deaths among frontline volunteers.
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the countries at risk were Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Zambia.
“We have 10 countries at risk,” Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said during a virtual briefing on the continent’s health situation amid the Ebola epidemic.
With the exception of Ethiopia, all the listed countries border either the Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda, where Ebola cases have been recorded.
Africa CDC and the World Health Organization jointly launched an appeal for more than $314 million to support response efforts across the region.
Officials said most of the funding would go to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda for treatment, surveillance and containment measures.
The remaining $54 million would be allocated among the 10 high-risk countries.
The agencies said planned interventions included establishing national incident management systems, strengthening cross-border coordination, accelerating research into vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, deploying additional medical teams and pre-positioning emergency supplies before transmission intensifies.
The WHO has declared the outbreak of the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever an international public health emergency and raised the alert level to “very high”.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has witnessed a sharp increase in Ebola infections since authorities declared an outbreak in Ituri province on May 15.
The disease has since spread to North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
According to the WHO, about 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths have been reported in DR Congo. At least 82 cases and seven deaths have been laboratory confirmed.
Uganda’s Health Ministry announced three new Ebola cases on Saturday, bringing the country’s total confirmed infections in the current outbreak to five.
Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said three Red Cross volunteers in northeastern DR Congo had died after apparently contracting Ebola while carrying out humanitarian duties in March.
Congolese authorities have imposed restrictions in Ituri, considered the epicentre of the outbreak, in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.
General Johnny Luboya announced the suspension of social activities, including sporting events, and banned gatherings of more than 50 people in the affected health zones of Bunia, Rwampara, Mongbwalu and Nyakunde.
Several neighbouring countries have also tightened preventive measures, including travel restrictions for arrivals from DR Congo.
