The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) praised Kenya’s rapid containment of an imported Ebola case as a continental model for handling the virus, according to a Xinhua report released Thursday evening from Addis Ababa. Kenya has reported nine confirmed cases and two deaths since the first case was identified on Oct. 6, with none added since Oct. 19, and has discharged its first patients from treatment centres.
Across the continent, the ongoing Bundibugyo outbreak has surged to 10,699 confirmed cases, 5,202 deaths and 2,900 recoveries, making it the fastest‑growing and second‑largest Ebola epidemic on record. Africa CDC warned that the virus could spread further into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, underscoring critical gaps in preparedness that could hamper containment.
Speaking at the online briefing, Africa CDC official Wessam Mankoula said the outbreak risk underscored the need for “quick and efficient” response systems and criticised key pillars of infection prevention, case management and logistics as still vulnerable. He called for accelerated disbursement of pledged funds to support the continent’s containment efforts.
"Having an imported case should not push us to panic as long as we have the minimum capacity at all critical preparedness pillars, each country should have a strong surveillance system, and screening at points of entry to detect cases quickly," said Mankoula.
Wessam Mankoula; Africa CDC spokesperson
The agency also noted progress in Kenya and Nigeria, acknowledging their encouraging containment outcomes, and urged all member states to invest in laboratory capacity and designated treatment facilities to respond to future cases.
