Egyptian Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar chaired on Monday the high-level ministerial meeting of the African Union’s top committee at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), held via video conference to discuss the evolving Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The meeting was attended by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom, Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya, Gavi CEO Dr. Sania Nishtar, and African Union Commission Chair Dr. Mohamed Ali Youssouf, alongside health ministers from member states and representatives of international partners.
Dr. Abdel Ghaffar stressed the urgent need for swift action and unified continental coordination to confront cross-border health challenges, highlighting Africa’s institutional expertise and capacity to respond effectively to crises. He noted that the current challenge extends beyond health to encompass health security and broader social and economic impacts.
The minister expressed Egypt’s full solidarity with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and other affected countries, paying tribute to healthcare workers and rapid response teams for their efforts to save lives. He announced Egypt’s readiness to provide technical and medical support, including personal protective equipment, medical assistance, and knowledge-sharing through African mechanisms.
Abdel Ghaffar emphasized the importance of unified African leadership in the response, while welcoming international support from partners, and thanked Africa CDC for its pivotal role in coordination and rapid action.
For his part, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom underlined that controlling the Ebola outbreaks requires strong leadership and effective international coordination, pointing to global expertise gained from previous outbreaks and ongoing vaccine and treatment development. Meanwhile, Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya presented updates on the epidemiological situation, warning of rising cases and fatalities, and urging urgent African action to support affected countries before the situation worsens.
