<\/p>\n
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has been classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organisation. The declaration reflects concern over cross-border transmission and the need for coordinated action.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jean B. Nachega, Director at the Biomedical Research Institute at Stellenbosch University, is part of an emergency consultative group under the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The group is advising on strategies to strengthen the continental response.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nachega said immediate priorities include identifying new infections through active case finding and isolating confirmed cases to break transmission chains. Efforts are also focused on strengthening laboratory testing capacity, improving community surveillance and reinforcing infection prevention measures.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nachega said preparedness at border points remains critical, particularly between the DRC and neighbouring countries such as Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. These measures are aimed at limiting the spread of the virus across the region.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nachega said the response is taking place in a complex environment, with the outbreak centred in an area affected by armed conflict and logistical constraints. Limited infrastructure and insecurity are affecting access to communities and complicating surveillance efforts.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Authorities have mobilised resources to support the response, including funding and technical assistance. Nachega said additional support is being used to strengthen coordination and address operational challenges.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The DRC has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks in recent years, and health teams have developed experience in managing the disease. Nachega said previous outbreaks were contained through measures such as contact tracing, isolation of patients and improved hygiene practices.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nachega said the current response remains ongoing and may take several weeks to achieve control. Health officials continue to focus on reducing transmission while strengthening systems to manage the outbreak.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":35085,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-35084","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Scientists at South Africa's (SA) Stellenbosch University have joined regional efforts to respond to the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, as health authorities work to contain the spread of the virus.","published_date":"","news_description":"Scientists at South Africa's (SA) Stellenbosch University have joined regional efforts to respond to the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, as health authorities work to contain the spread of the virus.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/35084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/35084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35086,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/35084\/revisions\/35086"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=35084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}