The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for urgent international support for Nigeria following the confirmation of a case of Bundibugyo virus disease in the country.
The agency’s Director-General, Dr Jean Kaseya, made the appeal on his official X account on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, after speaking with Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, who informed him of the confirmed case.
Kaseya commended Pate for his transparency and leadership, stressing that “early case notification saves lives.”
Kaseya urged the international community to provide immediate and flexible funding, medical equipment, diagnostic tools, qualified response personnel and stronger community surveillance to help contain the outbreak.
He warned that the outbreak must not spread to more countries or continue for another year, calling for urgent action to prevent further loss of life.
Kaseya outlined Africa CDC’s ongoing response across the region.
Kaseya said the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak had become the most geographically extensive in history, affecting several countries across three African regions.
He recalled that Africa CDC declared the outbreak on May 15, 2026, after warning of its regional dimension and the risks of cross-border spread.
The latest appeal comes amid the spread of Ebola across several African countries and concerns over the transparency and accountability of response funding.
International agencies have also stepped up efforts to contain the outbreak. On June On June 6, 2026, Nairametrics reported that the World Health Organization unveiled a $518 million, six-month plan to contain Ebola outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda.
