Africa’s “unprecedented” Ebola outbreak could reach the UK and other countries unless urgent action is taken, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has warned.Dr Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC, said the outbreak, which has now surpassed 10,000 cases with almost 5,000 deaths, is the first time three African regions have been affected by Ebola. He compared the situation to the early stages of the Covid pandemic, warning that countries should not underestimate the possibility of international transmission.
The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, began in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May 2026 and has spread to Uganda, Kenya and beyond, making it the largest and deadliest in the DRC’s history. As of October 20th, the DRC had reported 9,552 confirmed cases and 4,602 confirmed deaths across 66 health zones in eight provinces, with transmission persisting in North Kivu and Haut-Uele.
Kenya reported its first confirmed case on October 6th, imported from the DRC, after the patient travelled from the DRC to Kampala by road and arrived in Nairobi by flight. The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, assessing the risk as very high in the DRC, high for countries with land borders adjoining the DRC, and low for the remaining countries in the African region and globally.
Kaseya urged all countries, not only in Africa, to increase their preparedness levels and the possibility for treatment, stressing that “we want all countries to know that they are not safe if they don’t take appropriate measures.” He called for stronger border screening, international cooperation and urgent financial support to prevent further spread, noting that the UK has recorded only four confirmed Ebola cases since 1976, with no deaths.
The UK Health Security Agency currently assesses the risk to the UK population as low, with no imported cases associated with this outbreak reported as of October 20. However, Kaseya’s warning reflects a broader concern that global health systems must not repeat the complacency seen at the start of Covid, when many countries initially underestimated the threat.
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