Africa CDC rallies support for local PPE production to curb spread of Ebola

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In a bid to contain the spread of the Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is set to work with manufacturers to restart and scale up local personal protective equipment (PPE) production on the continent, to ensure that at least 60% of PPE is produced in Africa by 2040.

“We do not have a vaccine or medicine for this specific strain. This simply means that we are entirely relying on the public health measures, including use of PPE,” said Director General of Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya.

Emphasising the urgent need for personal protective equipment (PPE), Dr Kaseya said there is a need to protect those who may be exposed while taking care of others.

He cited the case of the deceased 59-year-old Congolese man who succumbed to the disease at Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala on May 15, 2026, before his body was later taken back to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“The patient passed on while being supported by health workers. And who are these people who took his body back to the DRC? What measures did they have to protect themselves? What kind of funerals did they organise in the DRC?"

Dr Kaseya noted that this is another reason why personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical in protecting the health workforce.

“I am told by my team, we just need US $2 million (sh7.5 billion) to establish it, and we will work on that," he said.

He was speaking during an emergency press briefing on the ongoing Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda on May 16, 2026.

The current third Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has already recorded 336 suspected cases and 88 confirmed deaths, including one in Uganda.

The outbreak started in April 2026 and has been classified as a high regional risk, with moderate continental risk.

Why we should care

Dr Kaseya said there is cause for concern because of the high movement of people due to insecurity and mining activities. He noted that the affected region in the DRC has strong trade links with Uganda involving food and other commodities.

“It is more likely that Uganda will be affected, but also South Sudan," he noted.

Ebola is a rare, severe and often fatal viral illness in humans and non-human primates.

The signs and symptoms of the disease include sudden onset of fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, yellowing of the eyes and unexplained bleeding, which manifests as a late symptom.

Other public health measures

Dr Tolbert Geeleh Nyeswaah highlighted additional public health countermeasures aimed at curbing the spread of the disease, including the use of gloves among healthcare workers, wearing gowns, handwashing, isolation of the sick, intensive community engagement, testing at the point of care, presumptive treatment and ensuring dignified burials.

Dr Ngashi Ngongo said that because the outbreak involves a zoonotic disease, the One Health approach is critical.

“We have to ensure that the vet department is equally engaged with the health department to track what is happening with animals,” Dr Ngongo noted.

About Ebola Bundibugyo Virus disease 

Ebola Bundibugyo Virus disease (BVD) was first detected between 2007 and 2008 in Bundibugyo district in Uganda. The outbreak recorded a total of 149 confirmed cases and 37 deaths. It was the first new Ebola species identified in decades.

The second Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012 in Isiro and Orientale Province, recording a total of 57 cases and 29 deaths.