Health 28 June 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
African Nations Unite in Kampala to Strengthen Ebola Preparedness
Eleven African nations have joined forces in Kampala to enhance preparedness and response mechanisms against the Ebola virus. This collaboration aims to bolster cross-border cooperation and resource sharing to combat potential outbreaks across the continent. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/11-african-nations-join-forces-in-kampala-to-combat-ebola-outbreak-5511432
Kampala, Uganda – In a significant move towards continental health security, eleven African nations have converged in Kampala to launch a collaborative initiative aimed at bolstering preparedness and response to public health emergencies, particularly the Ebola virus.
The launch of the Continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST) at Makerere University’s Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) signals a unified approach to tackling health crises. This initiative is a joint effort by African governments, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Uganda’s Minister for Health, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, stressed the critical need for African nations to lead coordinated responses. “The Ebola outbreak reminds us that no country is safe until every country is prepared,” he stated, highlighting that “solidarity is not simply a principle—it is an operational necessity.”
This collaborative framework includes epidemic-prone nations like Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, and the Central African Republic, even those without current active cases, to participate in cross-border preparedness.
Coinciding with the IMST launch, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) finalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly combat the current Ebola Bundibugyo strain outbreak. As of June 27, Uganda had registered 20 confirmed cases, with 15 being imported from the DRC. Joint laboratory services and Ebola Treatment Centres are being established in Aru and Kasenyi to facilitate early detection and halt transmission at the source.
Dr. Belizaire Marie Roseline, WHO Africa Regional Emergency Director, hailed the unified coordination model as a “game-changer,” promising to avoid duplication, mutualize resources, and create synergy.
The IMST experts, who have been coordinating virtually, have now physically relocated to Kampala. The team comprises specialists in case management, infection prevention, logistics, and contact tracing. The multinational communication hub will be permanently housed at Makerere University, utilizing a state-of-the-art boardroom to ensure real-time communication between field teams, governments, and international partners.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)