South Africa has pledged US$5 million towards a US$319 million continental plan to tackle the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, as African governments mobilise against the continent’s second largest Ebola emergency.
President Cyril Ramaphosa made the pledge on Monday while addressing a High‑Level Meeting of African Ministers of Health in his capacity as African Union Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response.
“In this spirit of African solidarity and African solutions to African challenges, the government and people of South Africa are pleased to announce an initial contribution of U$5 million to Africa CDC [Centres for Disease Control and Prevention], in support of the ongoing continental Ebola response,” Ramaphosa said.
He said the funding forms part of a broader African Union plan running from June to November 2026, designed to strengthen outbreak control in the two affected countries and bolster preparedness in at least ten high‑risk states.
Ramaphosa said African countries had already committed around 10 percent of the required financing from domestic resources, signalling what he described as a shift towards “African solutions to African challenges” and a more assertive continental response to health emergencies.
The latest outbreak, driven by the Bundibugyo strain for which no approved vaccines or therapeutics currently exist, has killed at least 200 people across eastern DRC and western Uganda.
The World Health Organisation has declared it a public health emergency of international concern, warning that the trajectory of infections remains deeply worrying.
This is the largest Ebola outbreak on the continent since the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, which claimed more than 11,000 lives.
The DRC, which has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks over the past two decades, has struggled to contain the current wave amid insecurity, population movement and limited access to affected communities.
Ramaphosa said rapid scientific collaboration was underway through Africa CDC, WHO and global partners including GAVI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and UNITAID to accelerate vaccine and therapeutic development.
He urged manufacturers and research institutions to fast‑track clinical trials, expand laboratory capacity and strengthen genomic surveillance to ensure Africa is not left behind in accessing lifesaving tools.
JN/APA