New Delhi, May 28 (IANS): India has dispatched emergency pharmaceutical supplies to support the containment of the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirming receipt of the consignment in Uganda by its Eastern Africa Regional Coordinating Centre for deployment to affected communities in eastern DR Congo. The supplies, donated by the Government of India, comprise essential diagnostics, therapeutics, infection prevention and control materials, and case management support. Africa CDC welcomed the arrival of the supplies and thanked India for its continued support and commitment to protecting lives and advancing health security across the continent. The WHO declared the ongoing Ebola situation in the region as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, with over 1,000 suspected infections and at least 220 deaths reported as of Tuesday, including seven confirmed cases in Uganda, though health agencies have warned the true scale may be higher.
The Bundibugyo strain, one of six known species of the Ebola virus, has caused periodic outbreaks since its identification in Uganda in 2007, with the WHO noting that there are currently no approved drugs or vaccines specifically for the strain. Ebola often turns into a fatal illness transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated materials or infected animals, with symptoms ranging from fever, vomiting and diarrhoea to internal and external bleeding in severe cases. India has stepped up medical assistance to African countries in recent years, supplying medicines and vaccines particularly during public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, underlining its growing role as a reliable partner in global health security efforts.