New Delhi, May 24, 2026 — India has dispatched the first tranche of urgent medical supplies and protective kits to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in response to the emerging Ebola public health emergency. The shipment was sent on May 24 as part of New Delhi’s commitment to support affected African nations.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar posted on X that India had sent the initial consignment of medical equipment and protective gear to Africa CDC and reiterated India’s readiness to assist in the response to the outbreak.
The World Health Organization (WHO) determined on May 17, 2026, under the International Health Regulations (2005), that the outbreaks of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The Africa CDC has also declared the ongoing outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus affecting the DRC and Uganda to be a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS).
On May 22, the WHO IHR Emergency Committee issued temporary recommendations to strengthen disease surveillance at points of entry. The guidance urges authorities to detect, assess, report and manage travellers with unexplained febrile illness arriving from areas with documented Bundibugyo virus detection, and it discourages non-essential travel to those affected areas.
Countries bordering the DRC and Uganda, including South Sudan, have been assessed as at high risk for spillover or cross-border transmission. Authorities are being advised to enhance screening and preparedness measures accordingly.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus causes a viral haemorrhagic fever that can be severe and carries a high mortality rate. At present there are no vaccines or specific approved treatments for Ebola disease caused by this strain.
In line with WHO recommendations and given the evolving situation in the DRC and other affected countries, the Government of India has advised all Indian citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan until further notice.
(This report is based on a syndicated feed from ANI and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness.)
