Zimbabwe on high alert as WHO declares Ebola a Public Health Emergency
Zimbabwe has stepped up measures to guard against Ebola following a worsening outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has spread into Uganda, Information Minister Soda Zhemu said on Tuesday.
Speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing, Zhemu said Cabinet had considered and noted a report on the country’s Ebola preparedness presented by Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora.
“The World Health Organisation has since 17 May 2026 declared the current Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with extension into Uganda, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern,” Zhemu said.
He said the outbreak had recorded 750 cases in the DRC by 22 May, while Uganda had initially confirmed two imported cases which have since risen to five, raising fears of cross-border transmission in the region.
“Zimbabwe’s risk is primarily driven by population mobility across regional borders, necessitating strengthened early detection, rapid containment capacity and revamped border health security measures,” he said.
Zhemu said although no Ebola case has been detected in Zimbabwe, government was strengthening preparedness systems to ensure rapid response in the event of an outbreak.
“The nation is assured that Zimbabwe has an Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system in place, supported by weekly epidemiological reporting and trained surveillance personnel,” he said.
He added that authorities were enhancing surveillance and coordination systems.
“While Zimbabwe has established preparedness systems under the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response framework, the evolving regional Ebola Virus Disease situation presents an opportunity to further strengthen surveillance, real-time alert systems and co-ordination mechanisms to support rapid detection and containment of outbreaks,” Zhemu said.
Cabinet also approved the establishment of a provisional Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness Contingency Fund to strengthen the country’s readiness.
Zhemu said the fund would support “surveillance, point of entry preparedness, laboratory strengthening, mobilisation of infection prevention and control commodities and rapid response deployment.”
Zimbabwe has previously battled outbreaks of cholera, measles and COVID-19, with health experts often warning that porous borders and high regional mobility increase the country’s vulnerability to infectious diseases.
Ebola, a severe and often fatal viral illness, spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and has caused repeated outbreaks in parts of Central and East Africa.
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