Speaking during a virtual meeting of African leaders and donors on Tuesday, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director-General Jean Kaseya said the outbreak could eclipse previous Ebola crises if transmission is not brought under control quickly.
“If we don’t stop the outbreak very soon, it will be worse than what we had in West Africa and eastern DRC,” Kaseya said.
The warning comes as health authorities report 808 confirmed cases and 192 deaths in the DRC, while Uganda has recorded 19 confirmed cases and two deaths linked to cross-border transmission.
The figures make it the largest Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak ever recorded and one of Africa’s most serious public health emergencies since the 2014-2016 West African epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Why officials are increasingly alarmed
