A two-day virtual meeting of East African Community (EAC) Health Ministers is under way as the region steps up efforts to contain the spread of Ebola.
The outbreak, centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and linked to cases in Uganda, has infected hundreds of people and is believed to have claimed more than 250 lives.
The current Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Health Ministers from the East African Community is meeting online to coordinate the region’s response to the Ebola outbreak.
The discussions aim to guide preparedness, surveillance, and cooperation among member states.
According to the EAC Secretariat, the meeting follows technical talks on potential Ebola vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic tools.
As part of the response, the regional bloc is deploying nine mobile laboratories at key border crossings to improve early case detection.
The laboratories will be placed across the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, and South Sudan.
The EAC is also activating a pool of over 180 emergency response experts from across the region.
The specialists have previously helped with responses to Ebola, Mpox, Marburg, and Anthrax outbreaks.
The Secretariat is urging member states to strengthen border screening and emergency preparedness measures.
It is also encouraging the public to follow official health guidance and seek information from trusted sources.
–SABC–
