East African Community deploying 9 mobile laboratories to intercept Ebola incidents at border points of entries
As of 26 May 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo had reported 121 confirmed cases, including 17 deaths, as well as 1077 suspected cases and 246 deaths among suspected cases. Meanwhile Uganda, as of 25 May 2026, reported seven confirmed cases and one death
Black News 
The East African Community is deploying nine mobile medical laboratories in strategic border locations and points of entries mapped across its eight member states’ territorial boundaries for handling Ebola emergencies.
Working through the EAC Partner States, the Secretariat is facilitating the deployment of nine (9) mobile laboratories to support rapid testing and surveillance of the Bundibugyo Virus Disease.
These strategic locations include Beni in North Kivu Province of DR Congo, Busia border in Kenya, Nimule-Elegu border in South Sudan as well as Kobero border in Burundi, Kagera and Kigoma regions in Tanzania.
Others are Kisenyi and Kihundwe health districts in Rwanda and Bwera hospital in Kasese district of Uganda.
The Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) which is the EAC Regional Centre of Excellence on Virology is also strengthening the laboratory diagnostic response by being a regional referral laboratory and providing specialized training.
How many people have died of Ebola?
At least 265 people have so far lost their lives from the Ebola outbreak.
As of 26 May 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo had reported 121 confirmed cases, including 17 deaths, as well as 1077 suspected cases and 246 deaths among suspected cases.
Uganda, as of 25 May 2026, had reported seven confirmed cases and one death among confirmed cases, with the first two cases involving patients who had travelled from the DRC and sought care in Uganda.
Meanwhile the East African Community is convening an Extra-Ordinary Virtual Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers responsible for Health to deliberate on the ongoing Ebola outbreak affecting the region.
The two-day online meeting taking place on the 1st and 2nd of June 2026 considers the proposed regional actions to curb the outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain.
The convening of this high-level meeting is part of a series of urgent actions the East African Community Secretariat has initiated, having already intensified regional coordination and preparedness measures following the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
These actions include an emergency crisis Meeting; meetings of the EAC Technical Working Group (TWG) on Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases; and harmonization of Regulations for potential Ebola vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.
The Extra-Ordinary Ministerial session will spell strategic guidance and coordinate the regional response across Partner States.
The current outbreak was officially declared on 15 May 2026 and is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a rare strain for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment.
The outbreak has mostly affected DRC in particular Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces, with Ituri Province remaining the epicentre-particularly Mongbwalu, an area characterized by high population mobility and significant cross-border movement, raising concerns over further regional spread.
The EAC Secretary General, Stephen Mbundi, said the regional bloc is taking urgent and coordinated action to strengthen regional preparedness and support Partner States in responding to the outbreak.
“We are mobilizing regional mechanisms and working closely with Partner States, Africa Center for Disease Control (CDC), WHO, and development partners to strengthen surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, infection prevention and control, risk communication, and rapid response capacities,” said Mbundi.
The EAC Secretariat, working closely with national ministries of health, regional institutions, Africa CDC, WHO and partners including the Government of Germany and the European Union, is implementing several urgent interventions to support Ebola preparedness and response across the region.
One of the key initiatives is the activation of the mobile laboratory network, which is a project being implemented by the EAC Secretariat with funds from the Government of Germany through the German Development Bank KFW and being supported technically by the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM).
The EAC Secretariat is also implementing the regional TEACH programme, implemented in collaboration with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin under the GIZ- supported Pandemic Preparedness Project.
The initiative aims to strengthen clinical management capacities for High Consequence Infectious Diseases (HCIDS), including Ebola, across the region.
Following the successful launch of the first regional TEACH workshop held in Nairobi from 27 April to 1 May 2026, preparations are underway for an additional Training-of- Trainer’s workshop scheduled for early June 2026.
The training will focus on clinical management of viral hemorrhagic fevers, critical care, infection prevention and control, and intensive Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)-based practical exercises.
Additional specialized training will also be conducted for Emergency Medical Team members from Uganda and experts from South Sudan, in view of the heightened risk of cross-border transmission.
The EAC is also activating its Rapidly Deployable Expert (RDE) Pool, comprising more than 180 multidisciplinary emergency responders from across the region.
The RDE Pool has previously supported responses to Ebola, Mpox, Marburg and Anthrax outbreaks through cross-border training deployments that have benefited nearly 300 health workers and public health experts.
In collaboration with the German Epidemic Preparedness Team (SEEG), Africa CDC and WHO, the EAC will conduct refresher training and rapid upskilling for approximately 40 RDE members in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), outbreak management and risk assessment, with a focus on Ebola preparedness and response.
To support frontline health workers and strengthen preparedness capacities, the EAC, through support from the Government of Germany has procured 500 sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for the DRC and Uganda, with additional procurement underway to support other Partner States.
The EAC is further advancing discussions on a regional mechanism for accelerated approval and registration of Ebola vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.
Heads of National Medicines Regulatory Authorities have met in Arusha to discuss the establishment of the EAC’s first joint regional vaccine approval framework, in coordination with the African Medicines Agency (AMA), WHO and national health authorities.
The EAC Secretariat urges Partner States to strengthen surveillance at points of entry, intensify cross-border coordination, activate emergency preparedness plans, and enhance public awareness and community engagement.
The Secretariat has also advised members of public to remain calm, seek information from official sources, and adhere to public health guidance, including regular hand hygiene, avoiding contact with suspected cases, and promptly reporting symptoms to health authorities.
