East African Community (EAC) health ministers and leaders are set to meet to discuss the Ebola crisis caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain.
Kenyan President William Ruto, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu’s representatives as well as representatives from other EAC states are set to convene the emergency meeting on June 1 and June 2.
According to the EAC, the meeting will be convened virtually to deliberate on the ongoing Ebola outbreak affecting regions of EAC member states.
“The EAC is set to convene an Extraordinary Virtual Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers responsible for Health on 1st–2nd June 2026, to deliberate on the ongoing Ebola outbreak affecting the region,” the EAC statement dated May 31 stated.
EAC Ebola Action Plan
During the virtual meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers, the officials will consider the proposed regional actions to curb the outbreak.
In addition, the community emphasized that the convening of the meeting is part of an urgent action initiated by the EAC secretariat.
Moreover, the secretariat has already intensified regional coordination and established measures following the recent Ebola outbreak.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda are currently under strain due to the Ebola outbreak, according to the secretariat.
Further, the action plan to curb the outbreak includes emergency EAC crisis meetings among the member countries.
EAC has also held meetings with the EAC Technical Working Group (TWG) on Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases.
Additionally, a meeting between the community and the Technical Working Group (TWG) was held on the Harmonization of Regulations for potential Ebola vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
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Kenya on Ebola cases
Despite Kenya having no reported cases of the Ebola outbreak on May 28, the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, held a discussion on US-Kenya coordination regarding the outbreak.
During the discussion, the US intended to commit KSh 1,748,250,000 to Kenya’s Ebola preparedness effort and an additional KSh 14,504,000,000 in bilateral assistance to the regional Ebola response.
Following the outbreak, President Ruto directed the establishment of a National Ebola Response Committee, chaired by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
In addition, the Ministry of Health through the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI) in coordination with the National Incident Management System has enhanced screening activities as well as the establishment of Ebola testing laboratories in the country.
Currently, the Ebola outbreak has raised health concerns about whether the country should host the Ebola patient in quarantine as a measure to tackle the outbreak.
Uganda Outbreak Crisis
In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni has continued to reassure Ugandan residents that the outbreak is not a major threat, despite the country reporting cases linked to the outbreak in DRC.
According to Museveni, the Ebola outbreak will be curbed and does not pose a serious threat to the public, as the government is implementing measures to address it.
“Corona-19 was very dangerous, and Uganda was the most successful country in the whole world, while Ebola is nothing compared to Corona-19,” Museveni stated during the launch of the 10th Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) at Munyonyo Resort.
Additionally, Museveni emphasized that the outbreak is only deadly if the public and the government fail to pay attention, but is manageable with the right measures.
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Tanzania Ebola Outbreak
In a public statement, President Samia confirmed that Tanzania currently has no confirmed Ebola case.
Samia, however, urged the members of the public to maintain vigilance and rapid response to any suspected case.
The Deputy Health Minister in Tanzania Doctor Florence Samizi, also assured the public that the country has intensified surveillance, screening, and coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa CDC to address the outbreak.
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