Ebola: Africa CDC warns continent ‘not winning’ as cases surpass 10,000

Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya.

The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya, has warned that Africa is not yet winning the fight against the ongoing Ebola outbreak, as confirmed cases have surpassed 10,000 and deaths approach 5,000.

Mr Kaseya made the remarks on Wednesday at an extraordinary meeting of African health ministers convened to discuss the outbreak and strengthen a coordinated continental response.

“I have worked on Ebola outbreaks for more than 30 years. I have never stopped feeling the weight of each life lost,” Mr Kaseya said.

“Yesterday I stood before more than 40 African Ministers and said what the data tells us: we are not winning so far. 10,172 confirmed cases. 4,932 people are gone.”

He said the ministers agreed to prepare every country for possible Ebola cases, coordinate responses across borders and keep borders open while strengthening surveillance.

“Ebola anywhere in Africa demands preparedness everywhere in Africa. We will get there, together,” he said.

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus, and was first declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May 2026.

According to the latest figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the outbreak has recorded 10,172 confirmed cases and 4,932 deaths across five countries: DRC, Uganda, France, Kenya and Nigeria.

The DRC accounts for the majority of the cases, with 10,141 confirmed cases and 4,928 deaths as of 26 October. It has affected eight provinces.

Kenya has recorded nine confirmed cases and two deaths, while Uganda has recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, alongside one probable case and one probable death.

France and Nigeria recorded one imported case each, with no deaths.

The first Nigerian case was confirmed on 20 October after a traveller with a history of travel to Uganda tested positive for the virus. The patient was subsequently medically evacuated to Switzerland, while contacts continue to be monitored.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), 54 contacts linked to the Nigerian case had been traced and were under follow-up as of 26 October.

Mr Kaseya said the scale of the outbreak requires countries across the continent to strengthen preparedness even where no active cases have been detected.

He said the meeting brought together more than 40 African health ministers and that countries agreed to work together on surveillance, preparedness and cross-border coordination.

He also highlighted the economic and social consequences of the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, saying about five million children were kept out of school, about 23,000 children lost their parents and nearly $3 billion in gross domestic product was lost.

“We already know what an uncontrolled Ebola outbreak costs,” he said. “The data is hard to hear, but it is also our best chance to change course.”

WHO has advised against restrictions on travel to or trade with affected countries, while emphasising continued surveillance and preparedness because of the risk of cross-border transmission.

Nigeria’s case has also raised questions about how the virus is moving across the region. Genomic sequencing showed that the virus detected in Nigeria is closely related to the strain identified in Kenya, with the two samples differing by a single mutation, according to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate.

However, Mr Pate said the finding does not establish a direct epidemiological link between Nigeria’s case and Kenya’s first confirmed case. Further investigation is needed to determine how the virus reached Nigeria.