Africa CDC thanks India for Ebola aid
Addis Ababa, May 27
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday extended gratitude to India for emergency pharmaceutical supplies in the midst of Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Africa CDC stated that the supplies include essential diagnostics, therapeutics, infection prevention and control materials, among other things.
In a post on X, it said, "Africa CDC welcomes the arrival of emergency pharmaceutical supplies generously donated by the Government and people of India to support the ongoing response to the Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak in the DRC. Received in Uganda by Africa CDC's Eastern Africa RCC, the supplies include essential diagnostics, therapeutics, infection prevention and control materials, and case management support that will soon be deployed to affected communities in eastern DRC."
"Africa CDC thanks the Government of India for its continued support and commitment to protecting lives and advancing health security across the continent," it added.
Meanwhile, Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that Eastern DRC now faces a catastrophic collision of disease and conflict with the Ebola outbreak in Ituri province outpacing the response.
The Ebola Bundibugyo virus has no approved vaccine nor treatment. Stopping this Ebola transmission depends entirely on humanitarian access. Yet ongoing clashes are driving mass displacement, pushing exposed contacts into overcrowded camps and severing critical containment corridors. Frontline workers are risking everything, while attacks on health facilities make tracking cases and their contacts nearly impossible, he said in the statement.
Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda People's Defence Force cautioned that the security forces are sealing their entire border with the DRC until further notice.
"The security forces are sealing our entire border with the DRC until further notice. No movement of people between the two countries is permitted. This is in response to the Ebola outbreak in DRC. Trying to breach this order will endanger your life. We will update you on the situation as it develops," he said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in South Africa announced that Russian scientists have developed a vaccine against a new Ebola strain.
"Russian scientists have developed a vaccine against a new Ebola strain, Health Minister Murashko announced. According to the Russian scientists, the vaccine may also protect against the rare Bundibugyo strain linked to the outbreak in the DRC."
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's heartening to see India stepping up during a crisis. The conflict angle is terrifying though—how do you contain Ebola when people are fleeing clashes and hospitals are under attack? That's a nightmare scenario for any health system.
Good job India! But let's be honest—this is just a Band-Aid. We need a proper vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain. Praising Russia for their development is fine, but where was the global community before now? Always reactive, never proactive. 😤
As an Indian, I'm proud we're helping, but I worry about the border closure by Uganda. That's extreme, but understandable given how deadly Ebola is. Hope our supplies reach the right people and don't get lost in the chaos of the conflict. Safety first for everyone involved.
Respect to India for the aid. But this article highlights a deeper issue—when will the world treat disease outbreaks as seriously as military conflicts? The WHO is underfunded and overwhelmed. Uganda's border seal might save lives short-term, but it also traps people in a war zone with Ebola. Tragic. 🙏
India's pharmaceutical industry is world-class—this is exactly where we can shine. But kudos to Russia too for the vaccine development. Competition in global health is good if it saves lives. Hope the political tensions don't get in the way of actual collaboration.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.