The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that 10 African countries are at risk of being affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa.
The agency’s Director-General, Jean Kaseya, raised the alarm on Saturday, citing growing concerns over the spread of the virus beyond the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
According to Kaseya, the countries considered at risk are Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.
He attributed the growing threat to “high mobility and insecurity” across the region, warning that cross-border movements could worsen the situation.
The warning followed the World Health Organisation’s declaration of the outbreak as an international emergency after hundreds of suspected cases and over 170 suspected deaths were reported in eastern DR Congo.
Africa CDC had earlier declared the outbreak a “Public Health Emergency of Continental Security,” citing weak health systems, insecurity and population movement as major factors driving the spread.
Ebola is a deadly viral disease transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and can lead to severe bleeding, organ failure and death.
