The Emergency Consultative Group (ECG) of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, has advised African Union members, especially the 11 highest risk countries, to adopt its preparedness checklist being developed, to prepare themselves against potential impartation of the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda.

The Africa CDC, in a statement on Wednesday, in Ethiopia, stated that its ECG, made up of disease experts from member nations, and an independent advisory body to the Africa CDC Director General, Jean Kaseya, made the recommendations during at a meeting on June 3, 2026.

The statement read, “Experts advising the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) (www.AfricaCDC.org) have called for stronger cross-border preparedness in Africa to reduce the risk of imported cases from the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

“The ECG recommended that African Union Member States, especially the 11 countries at the highest risk, use an Africa CDC preparedness checklist being developed to assess their readiness for potential imported cases. The checklist covers border screening, isolation capacity, diagnostic capabilities and the ability to implement public health measures and manage suspected cases.”

The ECG chairperson, Salim Abdool Karim, in his opening address at the meeting said, “Being prepared will reduce the risk of the virus spreading locally in the event of an imported case. Preparedness builds confidence in the local response and reduces community anxiety and concern that often follows the discovery of an imported case of Ebola disease.”

According to Africa CDC, as of Tuesday, 645 confirmed cases, 114 deaths and 23 recoveries have been reported across the DRC and Uganda. It explained that the DRC accounts for 626 confirmed cases and 112 deaths, while Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases and two deaths, with no new cases or deaths reported in the previous 24 hours.

The ECG members, however, welcomed the improvements in laboratory diagnosis, contact tracing, and infection prevention and control measures, but expressed concern that transmission is still occurring among healthcare workers, frontline workers and funeral participants.

In their recommendations, the ECG, while opposing travel bans over the outbreak because evidence indicated that it had little or no benefit, advised member states to rather, strengthen risk communication and community engagement to address fear, myths, misconceptions, and to encourage the dissemination of information about their preparations and readiness.

It noted that, “available evidence suggests they offer limited public health benefit and may be counterproductive to outbreak control. Instead, Member States were encouraged to keep borders open while strengthening screening at points of entry and implementing evidence-based public health measures.”

The members also commended efforts, with the support of World Health Organisation and the Africa CDC, to accelerate the research and development of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics for Bundibugyo Ebola, and called for sustained investment to support field-based clinical trials in the continent.

“The ECG unanimously recommended that the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak remain classified as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), citing the evolving epidemic in the DRC and Uganda, the continuing risk of geographic spread, and the need to sustain preparedness across the continent,” it added.