By Johnathan Paoli
President Cyril Ramaphosa has commended the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda governments for reacting swiftly and transparently to the recent escalating Bundibugyo strain of Ebola outbreaks, but called on governments and international partners to act with “urgency, unity and collective action” to contain the deadly virus.
“Ebola does not respect borders. In a region marked by high population mobility, insecurity and humanitarian movement, the risk of regional spread is significant and demands urgent, coordinated action,” Ramaphosa said in a statement on Sunday.
The statement comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern” following a rapid increase in suspected infections and deaths linked to the Bundibugyo virus, a rare Ebola strain for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.
According to the WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease
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