In brief
In an online press briefing on Thursday evening, Africa CDC officials commended Kenya’s rapid containment of nine Ebola cases and two deaths as a continental benchmark. They warned that the Bundibugyo outbreak, now the fastest‑growing and second‑largest on record, could spill into the DRC unless gaps in preparedness are urgently closed. The agency called for faster disbursement of pledged funds and stronger surveillance capacities across member states.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) applauded Kenya for its "quick and efficient" handling of a single imported Ebola case, calling the country’s response a model for the continent. The praise came during a Thursday evening online press briefing in Addis Ababa, where the agency’s official, Wessam Mankoula, highlighted Kenya’s record: nine confirmed cases, two deaths, and the first five patients already discharged from treatment centers as of Oct. 19.
Mankoula noted that Kenya tested 669 samples, yielding a 1.35% positivity rate, and that the country had no new cases since the earlier October. The Africa CDC data for the continent as a whole show 10,699 confirmed cases, 5,202 deaths, a 48.6% case‑fatality rate, and 2,900 recoveries, with the Bundibugyo outbreak now the fastest‑growing and second‑largest Ebola epidemic on record.
"This is a time for all our member states to invest in preparedness and readiness. Having an imported case should not push us to panic as long as we have the minimum capacity at all critical preparedness pillars," Mankoula said in the briefing. He urged each country to maintain strong surveillance systems, screening at points of entry, and designated facilities to treat early cases.
"Each country should have strong surveillance system, and screening at points of entry to detect cases quickly. We need to invest in laboratory capacities and in designated facilities to treat the first few cases," he added.
The Africa CDC also warned that the Bundibugyo outbreak, declared a public health emergency of continental security in May, has expanded into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, raising alarms about cross‑border spread. The agency called for accelerated disbursement of pledged funds to manage the growing crisis, though it is not yet confirmed whether such financial mobilization has occurred.
