Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak across parts of Africa is not yet under control, with more than 10,200 confirmed cases and over 5,000 deaths recorded across the continent.
Gatekeepers News reports that Jean Kaseya, Director-General of Africa CDC, gave the warning on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, following a virtual ministerial meeting held on October 28.
The meeting brought together more than 42 African health ministers and over 600 participants, including representatives of international organisations and development partners, to assess the outbreak and coordinate response efforts.
Kaseya said the assessment of available epidemiological data showed that the continent was yet to contain the spread of the disease.
“We analysed the data and we saw that the outbreak is not yet under control,” he said.
He added that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) accounted for the overwhelming majority of infections, with more than 10,000 confirmed cases recorded in the country.
“We have achieved what is a number of 10,000 people confirmed cases in DRC and also, if we put together, it’s more than 10,200 confirmed cases across the continent,” Kaseya said.
The Africa CDC chief further disclosed that more than 5,000 people had died from the outbreak.
“We also saw that we have more than 5,000 people already passed on due to this outbreak,” he added.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has affected several African countries, including the DRC, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria.
The DRC remains the worst-affected country, while Kenya has reported nine confirmed cases, including two deaths.
Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the virus in Abuja.
The patient, who had travelled from Uganda, was subsequently evacuated to Switzerland for further treatment after her condition stabilised.
Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated.
Although the evacuation meant Nigeria had no confirmed patient remaining in the country, the World Health Organisation (WHO) cautioned that the development did not amount to an Ebola-free declaration.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s October 29 situation report, 62 contacts linked to the index case had been identified and were being monitored.
The WHO has advised against restrictions on travel to or trade with affected countries, while urging governments to strengthen surveillance, early detection and cross-border coordination.
Meanwhile, Kaseya called for stronger continental cooperation and preparedness to prevent further transmission, particularly in countries yet to record cases.
He warned that the scale of the outbreak required sustained action from governments and international partners to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
