EAC forms regional Ebola response team

- Services Prime EAC forms regional Ebola response team The East African Community (EAC) has approved the formation of a regional technical task force on Ebola and other dangerous diseases outbreaks amid pressure to strengthen disease surveillance to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The EAC Secretariat has also been tasked to mobilise financial and technical resources to support surveillance, testing and outbreak response activities across the region. Ten EAC mobile laboratories have been deployed in Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and DRC to help speed up Ebola testing and case detection. At the 8th Extraordinary Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health held virtually from June 1 to 2, 2026 the bloc agreed to harmonise Ebola screening and prevention measures across all partner states to reduce the risk of cross-border transmission. The ministers also directed the EAC Secretariat, working with the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (Cassoa) and other stakeholders, to organise a regional meeting to align traveller screening procedures, health declaration requirements and other public health measures at border entry points. The proposed EAC Regional Technical Task Force on Ebola and Other Dangerous Diseases will bring together experts from member states and the Secretariat to monitor outbreaks, coordinate technical response efforts and provide regular updates to regional leaders. Each partner state will nominate two health experts and one representative from the ministry responsible for EAC affairs to serve on the team. The ministers also stressed the importance of sharing disease information in real time to support early detection and a coordinated regional response. The World Health Organisation said on June 3 that there were 321 confirmed cases of Ebola in the DRC outbreak and 116 suspected cases, marking a large drop in the number of suspected cases as hundreds were ruled out after investigation. Uganda had recorded 11 confirmed cases and one death. Health authorities had identified 642 contacts, with 638 still under close monitoring. To improve disease detection, the ministers directed member states to continue deploying the mobile labs and experts in strategic areas such as border points and high-risk locations. Subscribe to continue reading this premium article Subscribe to continue reading this premium article Already have an account? Sign in here