India sends emergency medical supplies for Ebola outbreak response in Congo

India has sent emergency pharmaceutical supplies to support efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Congo, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday, May 28, 2026.

Ethiopia-based Africa CDC said in its social media post that the shipment donated by India was received by the East Africa Regional Coordination Center in Uganda.

It was stated that the supplies include basic diagnostics, treatment supplies, infection prevention and control supplies and case management support, which will be distributed to affected communities in eastern DR Congo.

“Africa 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 Congo,” the continental public health agency said.

He thanked India for its “continued support and commitment to protecting lives and improving 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 it was first identified in Uganda in 2007.

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

The virus can be transmitted to the human population when humans come into close contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other body fluids of infected animals, such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, wildebeest, or porcupines found sick or dead in the rainforest.

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

WHO declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17.

As of Tuesday, May 26, 2026, more than 1,000 suspected infections and at least 220 deaths have been reported; this includes seven confirmed cases in Uganda, but WHO and aid agencies say the true extent of the outbreak may be significantly higher.