Ebola: Africa CDC convenes Health Ministers on October 28 and demands immediate funding

Africa CDC is convening a high-level virtual meeting of African Health Ministers on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, as the Ebola epidemic caused by the Bundibugyo virus now affects Central, East, and West Africa, according to the continental agency cited by allAfrica.

"Ebola is crossing borders. Our response must move faster," said Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya. The meeting is intended to assess the situation, strengthen cross-border coordination, accelerate support for affected countries, and consolidate preparedness across the entire continent.

It will also prepare for a summit of heads of state and government, under the leadership of Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye, the current chairperson of the African Union.

Three countries, one shared trajectory

The response has been underway for five months in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Kaseya reports a fatality rate close to 50%. In Kenya, nine cases were confirmed as of October 20, 2026, including one death: the first patient, a man who had lived in the DRC, died on October 5 in Nairobi, and a second case, a close contact already in quarantine, was announced on October 14.

Nigeria confirmed a case on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, announced by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate. Uganda has strengthened its vigilance without reporting any cases. Africa CDC describes this as one of the most geographically widespread Ebola outbreaks.

Money, the lifeblood of the response

It was after an exchange with the Nigerian minister, whose transparency he praised, that Dr. Kaseya launched his appeal on the social network X: "We need immediate and flexible funding." He cited medical supplies, diagnostic tests, trained responders, and community surveillance. No specific amount has been made public.

Africa CDC had declared this epidemic a public health emergency of continental security on May 18, 2026. The agency is asking its member states to strengthen epidemiological surveillance, cooperation between neighbors, community engagement, and the protection of frontline healthcare workers.

A test for health sovereignty

The leadership is African: it is an institution of the continent that is alerting, convening, and coordinating, and African governments that are announcing their cases. What remains is the issue of financial dependence. The speed at which donors respond to the October 28 call will determine whether Africa can manage its own health emergencies without waiting for the epidemic to cause concern elsewhere.