Africa CDC announced on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, in Addis Ababa the holding, on October 28, of a virtual meeting of African health ministers to coordinate the response to Ebola, as cases are now being reported in Central, Eastern, and Western Africa.
The African Union health agency specifies that this meeting aims to assess the situation, strengthen cross-border coordination, accelerate support to affected countries, and improve the continent’s preparedness. It calls on states to intensify surveillance, cooperation between countries, community engagement, and the protection of healthcare workers.
This announcement comes the day after Nigeria confirmed an imported case in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The federal Ministry of Health indicates that the patient, a woman recently arrived from Uganda, tested positive on October 20 and is currently in isolation under treatment.
Nigerian authorities have identified 44 individuals who may have been exposed, including healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and travel-related contacts. The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has activated its incident management system to coordinate tracing and preventive measures.
According to the World Health Organization, the patient’s symptoms began on October 7 and she consulted at a private facility in Abuja on October 11. Investigations are ongoing to determine the likely place of exposure and to reconstruct her entire itinerary.
Ugandan health authorities indicated that the patient’s passage through their territory does not allow for the conclusion that she was infected there. They state that Uganda has no active cases, while the origin of the infection remains to be determined.
WHO identifies Nigeria as the fifth country to detect the Bundibugyo Ebola virus since the outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15. It also reports nine cases in Kenya, all linked to an imported case, and urges countries to keep their response teams, laboratories, and surveillance at entry points on alert.
Africa CDC declared a continental public health emergency on May 18. The ministerial meeting on October 28 is also expected to prepare a summit of heads of state and government, chaired by Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye, the current chairperson of the African Union.
