The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has commended Kenya’s rapid and effective response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak, highlighting its containment strategy as a blueprint for the continent amid growing concern over the spread of the virus in neighboring countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Speaking during an online press briefing on Thursday evening, Africa CDC official Wessam Mankoula outlined the current trajectory of the multi-country crisis while praising the proactive steps taken by Kenyan health authorities to prevent community transmission following its first imported case.
The continent continues to grapple with what has now become the fastest-growing and second-largest Ebola outbreak on record. According to the latest data released by the Africa CDC, cumulative confirmed cases have reached 10,699, with the death toll rising past 5,202. This represents a case fatality rate of 48.6 percent. Roughly 2,900 patients have recovered so far.
At week 25 of the epidemic, official figures show that the current Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has logged more than double the cases and deaths recorded during the next-highest comparator, the 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak.
While expressing optimism over containment efforts in select regions, Mankoula voiced serious concerns over the situation in the DRC, where transmission remains active, alongside potential risks in surrounding high-risk nations. Outside the primary affected areas, 10 neighboring countries—including South Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia, the Central African Republic, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, the Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Somalia—have been flagged for elevated risk.
In contrast to broader regional concerns, Kenya’s health authorities have demonstrated how targeted preparedness and swift action can stop an outbreak in its tracks.
Kenya identified its first imported case on October 6. Since then, out of 669 samples tested, only nine positive cases and two deaths have been recorded, yielding a test positivity rate of just 1.35 percent. Crucially, the country has not detected a single new case since October 19, and the first five patients admitted to isolation facilities have already been successfully discharged.
Mankoula praised Kenya’s rigorous contact tracing and quarantine protocols, noting that officials even coordinated with international counterparts to monitor contacts who had traveled outside the country. Kenya will formally enter a 42-day countdown to declare the end of its outbreak once its final patient recovers.
“Kenya is showing a good model on how to contain an Ebola outbreak,” Mankoula stated. “When we have one imported case, countries should not be panicking. Investing in preparedness and readiness is what enabled Kenya to respond quickly, efficiently, and control the situation so far.”
Despite individual success stories like those in Kenya and Nigeria, a recent joint survey conducted by the Africa CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) evaluating readiness across 31 African countries revealed widespread vulnerabilities. Mankoula underscored major gaps in core response pillars, including infection prevention and control, clinical case management, and supply chain logistics.
“This is a time for all our member states to invest in preparedness and readiness,” Mankoula urged, emphasizing that early detection through point-of-entry screening and robust laboratory infrastructure are essential to isolating imported cases before they expand.
Compounding these operational challenges is a severe financial deficit. While international donors initially pledged approximately $3 billion to fight the outbreak, only about $1 billion has actually been disbursed.
The Africa CDC issued an urgent call to international partners to release the remaining $2 billion in pledged support immediately. Officials warned that delayed funding risks undermining preparedness capacities just as high-risk countries attempt to lock down their borders against further imported cases.
