Ebola Cases Rise Above 10,000 in Africa, Officials Sound Alarm

The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Jean Kaseya, has said Africa is still struggling against the ongoing Ebola outbreak. Confirmed cases have now gone beyond 10,000, and deaths are close to 5,000.

Mr Kaseya made this statement during a special meeting of African health ministers. The meeting focused on discussing the outbreak and improving a united response across the continent.

“I have worked on Ebola outbreaks for more than 30 years. I have never stopped feeling the weight of each life lost,” Mr Kaseya stated.

“Yesterday I stood before more than 40 African Ministers and said what the data tells us: we are not winning so far. 10,172 confirmed cases. 4,932 people are gone.”

He mentioned that the health ministers agreed to prepare each country for possible Ebola cases, coordinate responses across borders, and keep borders open while improving surveillance.

“Ebola anywhere in Africa demands preparedness everywhere in Africa. We will get there, together,” he added.

The current outbreak comes from the Bundibugyo virus, a type of Ebola virus, first declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May 2026.

According to the latest data from the World Health Organisation, this outbreak has recorded 10,172 confirmed cases and 4,932 deaths in five countries: DRC, Uganda, France, Kenya, and Nigeria.

The DRC has most of the cases, reporting 10,141 confirmed cases and 4,928 deaths as of 26 October. It has affected eight provinces there.

Kenya has nine cases and two deaths, while Uganda has 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, along with one probable case and one probable death.

France and Nigeria each have recorded one imported case, with no deaths.

Nigeria's first confirmed case was on 20 October. This case was linked to a traveller returning from Uganda who tested positive for the virus. The patient was later evacuated to Switzerland, and contacts are being monitored.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 54 contacts related to the Nigerian case had been traced and were under follow-up as of 26 October.

Mr Kaseya stressed that the scale of the outbreak requires all countries to improve preparedness, even in places where no active cases exist.

He noted that the meeting involved over 40 African health ministers. Countries agreed to collaborate on surveillance, preparedness, and cross-border coordination.

He also discussed the serious effects of the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, saying it kept about five million children out of school. Around 23,000 children lost their parents, and nearly $3 billion in gross domestic product was lost.

“We already know what an uncontrolled Ebola outbreak costs,” he said. “The data is hard to hear, but it is also our best chance to change course.”

The WHO has advised against travel and trade restrictions with affected countries. They stress the need for ongoing surveillance and preparedness due to the risk of cross-border spread.

Nigeria’s case has raised concerns about how the virus is spreading in the region. Genomic testing revealed that the virus in Nigeria is closely related to the strain found in Kenya, with only a single mutation between the two samples, according to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate.

However, Mr Pate clarified that this does not prove a direct link between Nigeria’s case and Kenya’s first confirmed case. Further investigation is necessary to find out how the virus entered Nigeria.