India sends urgent medical aid to Africa amid Ebola emergency; Jaishankar reaffirms support

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday said India has dispatched the first tranche of urgent medical supplies and protective kits to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) amid the worsening Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa. 

In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Committed to support Africa in responding to the emerging Ebola public health emergency.” 

The development comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). 

In a statement, India said the WHO, under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005, classified the outbreak as a global health emergency on May 17. 

Outbreak of Bundibugyo strain 

The Africa CDC has also designated the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola Virus Disease in the DRC and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS). 

The WHO’s IHR Emergency Committee, in temporary recommendations issued on May 22, urged countries to strengthen disease surveillance at points of entry to “detect, assess, report and manage travellers with unexplained febrile illness arriving from areas with documented Bundibugyo virus detection”. The WHO also advised against travel to regions where the virus has been detected. 

India has not reported any case of Ebola disease linked to the Bundibugyo virus strain so far. 

Advisory for Indian citizens 

“In view of the evolving situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other affected countries, and in line with WHO recommendations, the Government of India advises all Indian citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan until further notice,” the statement said. 

Indian nationals currently residing in or travelling to these countries have been advised to strictly follow public health guidance issued by local authorities and maintain heightened precautions.