India sends emergency medical supplies to respond to Ebola outbreak in Congo

In a post on social media in Africa, the Ethiopia-based CDC said the shipment donated by India was received in Uganda by its regional coordination center for East Africa. Photo: X/@AfricaCDC

India on Wednesday (May 28, 2026) said it had sent emergency pharmaceutical supplies to support efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Congo.

In a post on social media in Africa, the Ethiopia-based CDC said the shipment donated by India was received in Uganda by its regional coordination center for East Africa.

The supplies include essential diagnostics, therapeutics, infection prevention and control materials and case management support, which will be deployed to affected communities in eastern Congo, the company said.

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“The African CDC welcomes the arrival of emergency pharmaceutical supplies generously donated by the government and people of India to support the ongoing response to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” the continental health agency said.

She thanked India for its “continuous support and commitment to protect lives and improve health security across the continent”.

The Bundibugyo strain is one of six known strains of the Ebola virus and has caused periodic outbreaks in parts of Africa since 2007, when it was first identified in Uganda.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are no approved drugs or vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Ebola is a serious and often fatal disease transmitted by direct contact with infected body fluids, contaminated materials, or infected animals. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.

The virus can enter the human population when people have close contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other body fluids of infected animals, such as bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, forest antelopes, or porcupines found sick or dead or in the rainforest.

In recent years, India has expanded its health and development partnerships with African countries through the supply of medicines, vaccines and medical assistance, especially during public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WHO declared the ongoing Ebola epidemic in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on 17 May.

As of Tuesday (May 26, 2026), more than 1,000 suspected infections and at least 220 deaths have been reported, including seven confirmed cases in Uganda, although the WHO and aid agencies say the true scale of the outbreak may be significantly higher.

Published – 28 May 2026 01:51 IST