Statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa, President of The Republic of South Africa and African Union Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, to the High-Level Meeting of African Ministers of Health on the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak
Your Excellency Dr John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana and Champion of the Accra Reset
Your Excellency Chair of the African Union Commission, Mr Mahmoud Ali Youssouf
Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC,
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the WHO
Excellencies the co-chairs of the African High Level Ministerial Council and all Ministers present,
Distinguished Partners,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank Africa CDC for convening this important High-Level Ministerial Meeting at a critical moment for our continent.
Africa is once again being tested by a dangerous Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with a serious risk of wider regional spread.
The outbreak is unfolding in areas marked by intense population movement, insecurity, porous borders, humanitarian pressures and active trade corridors. These realities make rapid containment more difficult and increase the urgency of our collective response.
I pay tribute to the frontline health workers who have shouldered a succession of epidemics and outbreaks.
Yet, they continue to demonstrate unwavering commitment and stamina in the face of a highly dangerous and demanding public health threat.
It is of utmost importance that we ensure their lives and livelihoods are protected: by securing ample supplies of high quality personal protective equipment, ensuring there are enough health workers deployed to allow for rest and recouperation and equipping them with all the tools of trade they require to deliver high quality health and care.
I commend Africa CDC, under the leadership of Dr Jean Kaseya, for acting swiftly and decisively in accordance with the mandate entrusted to the institution by African Heads of State and Government.
Africa CDC has led a unified strategy for the continent by immediately mobilising affected countries, coordinating regional preparedness, convening a ministerial platform and galvanising the joint incident management team in collaboration with the World Health Organization.
I commend the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan for the courage and solidarity they demonstrated during the Kampala High-Level Ministerial Meeting.
At a moment of uncertainty, these countries chose cooperation over isolation and unity over fragmentation. This is the Africa we must continue to build.
The latest situation remains deeply concerning. We are witnessing continued transmission in the DRC, confirmed cases in Uganda and heightened risk for several neighbouring countries.
We have already lost more than 200 people. Africa CDC has said that this is the second largest Ebola outbreak after the one in West Africa in 2014.
Although, at the onset of this outbreak, there are no therapeutics and vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain, we have reason to be hopeful. Working together with Africa CDC and the World Health Organization through the interim medical countermeasures network, organisations such as GAVI, CEPI and UNITAID are working at speed on promising vaccine and therapeutic candidates towards clinical trials.
We strongly support these efforts, as Africa cannot continue to face deadly epidemics without equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines and treatments. We call on all relevant partners and manufacturers to accelerate research and development, strengthen genomic surveillance, expand laboratory systems, and fast-track the equitable delivery of safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics.
The Kampala meeting aligned behind a continental preparedness and response plan of approximately $319 million for the period June to November 2026. This plan will support outbreak control in affected countries while strengthening preparedness in at least ten high-risk Member States.
Importantly, African countries themselves have already committed initial domestic contributions representing approximately ten percent of the required financing. This demonstrates ownership and responsibility. Africa is no longer waiting passively for others to act.
In this spirit of African solidarity and African solutions to African challenges, the Government and people of South Africa are pleased to announce an initial contribution of U$5 million to Africa CDC in support of the ongoing continental Ebola response.
This contribution is a demonstration of our confidence in Africa CDC as the Public Health Agency of Africa and in the importance of collective continental action.
We encourage other Member States, African financial institutions, philanthropy and the African private sector to join this effort urgently.
I particularly welcome the mobilisation of African business leaders, including Mr Aliko Dangote, Professor Benedict Oramah, Dr George Elombi and Mr Simon Tiemtoré, who are stepping forward to support this response. Their engagement reflects a growing understanding that health security is also economic security, development security and continental security.
At the same time, we call on the international community to stand with Africa in a spirit of partnership, solidarity and respect. The world is safer when Africa is safer. Delayed support today will result in much higher human, social and economic costs tomorrow.
This outbreak reminds us that preparedness cannot begin when a crisis is already expanding.
We must continue investing in resilient health systems, strong national public health institutes, emergency operations centres, local manufacturing of medical countermeasures, community health workers, genomic surveillance and sustainable domestic financing.
Africa has the institutions, expertise and leadership to respond effectively.
What is required now is speed, unity, solidarity and trust in our collective capacity.
The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and all countries at risk must know that they are not alone. Africa stands with them.
I thank you.
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