The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has urged African nations to strengthen community-based surveillance, expand vaccination campaigns, and boost cross-border cooperation to effectively contain ongoing disease outbreaks, including Mpox, Cholera, Ebola, and Rift Valley Fever across the continent.
Speaking during the agency’s weekly press briefing on Friday, Prof. Yap Boum, Incident Manager for Health Emergencies at the Africa CDC, stressed the importance of proactive surveillance and sustained vaccination efforts to prevent further escalation of outbreaks in vulnerable regions.
Prof. Boum reported that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is nearing its 42-day countdown to full containment — a critical milestone in ending the epidemic. However, he cautioned against complacency.
“We are in the countdown phase for Ebola in Bulape, but this does not mean we are out of the outbreak. We must strengthen monitoring, surveillance, and community engagement to sustain progress,” Boum said.
He revealed that over 37,000 people — including healthcare workers and children — have been vaccinated. Preventive vaccination efforts are also being expanded to neighbouring regions to create a protective buffer against possible resurgence.
The Africa CDC noted that Mpox infections have declined by 80% from their peak levels, with 13 African countries conducting vaccination drives that have reached over 1.5 million people. Despite these gains, Boum expressed concern about rising infections in Kenya, Liberia, and Ghana, where active transmission continues.
“We are not resting until all member states reach acceptable thresholds for transition to national surveillance,” he said, adding that the CDC is supporting Kenya with 20,000 additional vaccine doses and enhanced community response efforts.
Boum also praised Namibia’s early intervention, which successfully limited Mpox transmission to just two confirmed cases — a model, he said, for other nations to emulate.
Describing cholera as “Africa’s most challenging disease,” Boum revealed that as of 2025, the continent has recorded 297,394 cases and 6,084 deaths across 23 member states. He warned that the ongoing rainy season could worsen the spread in Angola, Burundi, Sudan, and South Sudan, where sanitation challenges remain severe.
“Cholera is a disease of inequity. Stopping it requires investment in clean water, sanitation, and hygiene — not just emergency response,” he emphasized.
The Africa CDC is advocating for multi-sectorial interventions that improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure while empowering communities through education and preparedness.
Boum reiterated Africa CDC’s commitment to building resilient national public health institutes (NPHIs) capable of early detection and rapid response to disease outbreaks. The agency’s support includes training programmes, logistics coordination, and technical assistance to frontline health workers.
“Our goal is to build resilient systems that prevent outbreaks before they happen. Strong surveillance, rapid response, and cross-border coordination remain our best defence,” he added.
In a related update, Dr. Kyeng Mercy from the CDC’s Surveillance and Disease Intelligence Unit announced the launch of a continental health data architecture and information exchange policy, designed to harmonise disease reporting and safeguard data privacy across member states.
The Africa CDC continues to work closely with the World Health Organization (WHO), national public health institutes, and regional partners through its Incident Management Support Team (IMST). The collaboration provides real-time data, technical support, and emergency logistics to strengthen Africa’s ability to detect, prevent, and contain epidemics.
“United action is the foundation of Africa’s health security,” Boum concluded. “Together, we can stop these outbreaks and build a safer, healthier continent.”
