President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is also the African Union Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, addressed virtually the High-Level Meeting of African Ministers of Health on the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak.
Image: GCIS
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced an initial South African contribution of $5 million to support the continental response to the deadly Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak currently affecting parts of Central and East Africa.
Addressing a High-Level Meeting of African Ministers of Health convened by Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday, Ramaphosa warned that the outbreak posed a serious regional threat due to porous borders, population movement, insecurity and active trade routes in affected areas.
The outbreak has primarily affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with fears of wider spread to neighbouring countries.
“We have already lost more than 200 people,” Ramaphosa said, adding that Africa CDC had described the crisis as the second-largest Ebola outbreak since the 2014 West African epidemic.
The South African president, who also serves as the African Union Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, praised frontline healthcare workers and called for greater protection and support for medical personnel dealing with the outbreak.
“It is of utmost importance that we ensure their lives and livelihoods are protected,” he said, stressing the need for sufficient personal protective equipment, additional staffing and better medical resources.
Ramaphosa commended Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya for coordinating a continental response in partnership with the World Health Organization.
He also praised the governments of the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan for choosing “cooperation over isolation and unity over fragmentation” during emergency regional discussions held in Kampala.
The president noted that the Bundibugyo strain currently has no approved vaccines or therapeutics but said efforts were underway to fast-track vaccine and treatment development.
Ramaphosa said organisations including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Unitaid were working with Africa CDC and WHO on clinical trial preparations for promising vaccine and therapeutic candidates.
“We strongly support these efforts, as Africa cannot continue to face deadly epidemics without equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines and treatments,” he said.
African leaders have aligned behind a continental preparedness and response plan valued at approximately $319m for the period between June and November 2026. The funding will support outbreak control measures in affected countries and strengthen preparedness in at least 10 high-risk Member States.
Ramaphosa said African countries had already committed roughly 10% of the required funding through domestic contributions, describing it as evidence that “Africa is no longer waiting passively for others to act.”
He urged African governments, financial institutions, philanthropic organisations and the private sector to contribute further resources to the emergency response.
Ramaphosa also welcomed support from African business leaders including Aliko Dangote, Prof. Benedict Oramah, Dr George Elombi and Simon Tiemtoré.
“Health security is also economic security, development security and continental security,” Ramaphosa said.
He warned that delayed international support would lead to higher human and economic costs and called for long-term investment in resilient healthcare systems, genomic surveillance, emergency operations centres and local manufacturing of medical countermeasures across Africa.
“The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and all countries at risk must know that they are not alone. Africa stands with them,” Ramaphosa said.
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