Tanzania and Kenya have been listed among 10 African countries considered at high risk of potential Ebola spread as health authorities monitor the worsening outbreak affecting Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The warning was issued by the Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jean Kaseya, during an emergency briefing with health leaders from across the continent on the regional Ebola situation.
Kaseya said the growing number of Ebola cases, particularly in eastern DR Congo’s South Kivu region, could create wider regional health challenges if the outbreak is not quickly contained.
“Today we have so many cases in South Kivu that can spread to other regions of DRC or other countries,” Kaseya said during the briefing.
He added that African health authorities were already reviewing response mechanisms as the outbreak continues evolving.
According to a risk map presented during the emergency meeting, the countries currently considered high risk are South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, the Central African Republic, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, Congo-Brazzaville, and Burundi.
Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are already dealing directly with Ebola cases and active response operations.
Africa CDC clarified that the listed countries are not currently experiencing confirmed outbreaks but are being monitored due to their geographic position, population movement, and regional trade connections with affected areas.
Kaseya also stressed that countries not bordering the affected zones are not currently considered high risk, though that assessment could change depending on how the outbreak develops.
Health officials across East and Central Africa have increased border surveillance, screening procedures, and emergency preparedness measures in recent months as fears grow over possible cross-border transmission.
The latest alert comes as governments in the region continue strengthening public health systems following previous Ebola outbreaks that disrupted trade, travel, and healthcare services in several African countries.
Ebola is a highly dangerous viral disease spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. Symptoms can include fever, bleeding, weakness, and severe dehydration, with outbreaks often requiring rapid isolation and contact-tracing measures to contain transmission.
