The Director-General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr. Jean Kaseya, has called on African countries to make greater use of their own resources in combating the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
Healthcare workers disinfect their gloves after treating an Ebola patient in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
His remarks come as the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reached 1,003 as of June 21, including 254 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 25.3%.
According to reports from Africa, Dr. Kaseya described the current crisis as a clear warning that Africa can no longer rely heavily on external partners to finance disease response efforts, vaccine research, and treatment development. He stressed that if a similar outbreak had occurred in more developed regions of the world, the development of vaccines and therapeutics would likely have progressed much faster. In contrast, he argued that international attention has not matched the severity of the outbreak affecting the continent.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no specifically approved vaccine or treatment. Africa CDC has also warned that the epidemic may not yet have reached its peak due to challenges in contact tracing, the failure to identify the index case, and the need to monitor
more than 36,000 individuals who have been exposed to infected persons.
To strengthen regional coordination, Africa CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a continent-wide Ebola Preparedness and Response Plan on June 5. Covering the period from June to November 2026, the initiative aims to mobilize US$518 million. The plan focuses on emergency coordination, disease surveillance, testing, infection prevention and control, clinical care, community engagement, research, and logistics. It is guided by the principle of “one plan, one budget, one team,” with leadership entrusted to the affected countries.
At the same time, Africa CDC reported that financial commitments for the Ebola response have exceeded US$910 million, including approximately US$80 million pledged by African governments. However, less than US$90 million has been disbursed so far.
The situation highlights the growing recognition across the continent that strengthening domestic financing mechanisms and expanding local production of vaccines and medicines are essential to achieving greater health sovereignty and improving preparedness for future epidemics.
According to the latest figures, 365 patients are currently in isolation or receiving hospital care in the DRC, while 100 people have recovered from the disease.
