Audio By VocalizeA health worker prepares to administer Ebola virus vaccine at the Provincial Laboratory of Ituri in the DRC on September 19, 2026. [AFP] Kenya is among 10 African countries identified by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as at risk of Ebola as …
… The new Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention evidence review estimates that about 178,600 women died from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes in African Union member states in 2023. …
… The figures are contained in a new Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention evidence review, The Causes and Drivers of Maternal and Child Mortality in Africa, released on September 9, 2026.The review draws on evidence from all 55 African Union member states and finds tha …
… The World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) welcomed the milestone on Thursday, saying the completion of the 42-day monitoring period provides an additional safeguard that no chains of transmission linked to the country’s …
… Three months after it was declared, seven times more cases and five times more deaths were recorded in the DRC than during the first three months of the largest Ebola outbreak in history, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).That outbreak hit w …
… The donation follows India’s earlier delivery of more than 45 tonnes of medical supplies to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in May and June 2026 to support continental Ebola preparedness efforts. …
… WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) also warned that the continental Ebola preparedness and response plan remains critically underfunded. …
… "This is the fastest growing Ebola outbreak ever, not only among the previous Bundibugyo outbreaks, but all the different viruses that are causing Ebola," Wessam Mankoula, head of emergency preparedness and response for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Afric …
… "This is the fastest growing Ebola outbreak ever, not only among the previous Bundibugyo outbreaks, but all the different viruses that are causing Ebola," Wessam Mankoula, head of emergency preparedness and response for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Afric …
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has identified Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Zambia as at risk of Ebola as the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo approaches 8,000 confirmed cases. Kenya has not reported a confirmed case but is enhancing border surveillance due to its position on major regional transport routes.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has identified Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Zambia as at risk of Ebola as the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo approaches 8,000 confirmed cases. Kenya has not reported a confirmed case but is enhancing border surveillance due to its position on major regional transport routes.
At the United Nations General Assembly, Tanzania and Rwanda have been commended for their efforts to combat maternal mortality. The article frames this praise through the personal story of a Kenyan man whose wife suffered life-threatening bleeding complications after childbirth.
African Union member states accounted for nearly 178,600 maternal deaths and an estimated 1.18 million newborn deaths in 2023, representing 69 per cent and 51 per cent of global totals respectively. At UNGA 81, Africa is advancing a "Three Zeros" agenda—zero home deliveries, zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and zero unvaccinated children—to accelerate progress toward 2030 targets.
A 23-year-old man from South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo traveled across borders through Rwanda and Uganda, carrying Bundibugyo Ebola into Sud-Ubangi province, where 38 contacts were traced. Uganda declared its own Bundibugyo outbreak over on July 28 after recording 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, following 42 consecutive days without new cases.
Uganda has been declared free of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus after completing 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case. The outbreak recorded 20 confirmed cases, 18 recoveries and 2 deaths, with the WHO and Africa CDC welcoming the milestone as the internationally established benchmark for determining transmission has ended.
The WHO Director-General warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is moving faster than any previous epidemic and risks spreading to more countries, stating the outbreak is "far from being under control." The DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak has killed more than 2,300 people out of nearly 5,000 cases, making it the deadliest in the country's history, and is being fuelled by insecurity, displacement, and population movement in weakly-governed regions.
India has delivered the first tranche of 4.5 tonnes of medical supplies to Kenya to strengthen its preparedness for Ebola Virus Disease and other emerging infectious threats. The shipment includes personal protective equipment, sample transportation kits, infrared thermometers, and other infection prevention materials, with a second consignment expected in coming weeks.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has claimed 930 deaths among 2,344 confirmed cases across five provinces, with the World Health Organisation warning that the epidemic is spreading faster than containment efforts can manage.
The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is the "fastest growing" ever, with 1,759 confirmed cases and 600 deaths since mid-May, according to African health authorities and the WHO. The Africa CDC head said the current outbreak is spreading faster than previous ones, including the 2013-16 West Africa epidemic, with case numbers doubling every 28 days.
The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 600 people among 1,759 confirmed cases since mid-May, making it the "fastest growing" outbreak ever according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus is doubling every 28 days and spreading faster than response efforts can be deployed.
The African Union Commission and Russian Federation have renewed calls for UN Security Council reforms to give Africa permanent representation, describing the current system as a "historical injustice." Both sides pledged to deepen strategic cooperation ahead of an Africa-Russia Summit scheduled for October in Moscow.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has reaffirmed its goal of vaccinating 500 million more children over the next five years through its 2026-2030 strategy (Gavi 6.0), despite facing financial pressures. The commitment aims to prevent 8–9 million deaths and reduce under-five mortality by a further 10 percent.
Financing delays are jeopardising critical Ebola clinical trials amid a rapidly expanding outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Africa CDC warns that an urgent USD18 million funding gap is hampering key elements of the emergency response.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has banned mass gatherings in Kinshasa and three other provinces to halt the spread of Ebola, which has been detected in three eastern provinces roughly 1,800 km away. Opposition figures have criticized the order, alleging it is a political move to block a protest march scheduled for 8 July, though the government has not responded.
A multinational study of nearly 5,700 pregnant women in Kenya, Mozambique and The Gambia found that women who have previously experienced stillbirth face more than three times the risk of another stillbirth, with an overall stillbirth rate of 29.2 per 1,000 births across the three countries. Researchers emphasize that women with a history of stillbirth require specialized care and close monitoring even before conceiving again, particularly if underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or malnutrition are present.
The U.S. has provided doses of an experimental antibody drug from Mapp Biopharmaceutical for clinical trials in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, which has caused over 1,000 cases and more than 250 deaths. The trial data could inform future U.S. regulatory review and potential approval.
The U.S. has provided doses of an experimental antibody drug from Mapp Biopharmaceutical for use in clinical trials and compassionate use to fight an Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo. The Bundibugyo strain has caused more than 1,000 cases in Congo and more than 250 deaths, with a handful of cases also reported in Uganda.
As Ebola cases surge in the Democratic Republic of Congo (933 confirmed cases and at least 245 deaths), Kenya is advised to strengthen symptom-based screening at borders, since Ebola patients become infectious only after symptoms develop, unlike COVID-19. The Africa CDC says testing asymptomatic travellers is not scientifically justified, and screening for symptoms at points of entry remains the most effective prevention tool.
Health workers battling an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo lack personnel, ambulances, and construction materials for isolation wards. A month after the WHO declared an international emergency, the rare Bundibugyo strain outbreak has grown to more than 800 confirmed cases, with warnings it could surpass the 2014-16 West Africa epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people.
The Serum Institute of India is leading development of a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in response to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo first reported in May 2026, which the WHO has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford and CEPI, uses the same viral vector technology as the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and trial doses are expected in the coming months.
The Africa CDC has raised concern over gaps in contact tracing and funding in response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, warning that the crisis could worsen without urgent action. As of September 24, 2023, more than 635 confirmed cases and 127 deaths have been reported in the DRC, with the CDC noting that only around 6,022 contacts are being tracked when approximately 24,000 should be monitored based on confirmed case numbers.
The World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have warned that a growing funding gap could undermine Ebola response efforts in Central and East Africa as the outbreak continues to spread across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have warned that a growing funding gap could undermine Ebola response efforts in Central and East Africa, as the outbreak continues to spread across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has defended the Government's Ebola preparedness and quarantine measures in court, arguing Kenya's response framework is legally grounded, scientifically informed, and necessary to protect public health amid a regional outbreak. The defence responds to constitutional petitions by Katiba Institute and Law Society of Kenya challenging the legality and constitutional basis of the Government's Ebola preparedness strategy, which was triggered by Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
The World Health Organization announced a six-month joint plan worth $518 million (Ksh.67 billion) to combat a Bundibugyo virus-strain Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, described as the fourth largest on record. The strategy includes support for containment in the two affected countries and preparation measures in neighbouring nations such as enhanced border screening.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has filed an affidavit defending the ministry's Ebola preparedness and quarantine measures in response to a constitutional petition by Katiba Institute, arguing the government's response framework is grounded in WHO guidance, international law, and East African Community obligations.
China has deployed a specialized medical expert team to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support containment efforts against an ongoing Bundibugyo strain Ebola outbreak, joining international partners in assisting the country. The Chinese team departed Beijing on Tuesday and will work alongside Congolese health authorities and international agencies, with China also pledging emergency humanitarian assistance and continued support based on the outbreak's evolving needs.
Kenya's Ministry of Health has designated 25 counties as either 'very high risk' or 'high risk' for Ebola, including Nairobi, Mombasa, and border counties, amid outbreaks in neighbouring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The government is maintaining high alert at 26 points of entry and monitoring 10 neighbouring countries, though no positive cases have been reported in Kenya.
Kenya has pledged to deepen collaboration with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to support the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism and promote African-made medicines, vaccines, and health products. Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga said Kenya remains committed to supporting continental initiatives that improve access to affordable, quality, and essential health commodities.
Brazilian health authorities are monitoring two patients for possible Ebola infection in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro amid concern the deadly virus outbreak from central Africa could spread abroad. A 37-year-old man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo exhibited fever and suspected symptoms, though initial tests did not detect Ebola, while a man from Uganda showed viral symptoms in Rio de Janeiro.