BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / RankWire.AI / – The European Commission has expanded its Ebola response by acquiring €2.1 million worth of PCR tests for the Bundibugyo virus outbreak. These open-platform tests can be used by laboratories with their existing systems. The procurement was supported by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Shipments are scheduled to begin in August, as health teams address a significant outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and impacting surrounding regions.
The World Health Organization will receive the testing kits via its Hub for Global Health Emergencies Logistics in Dubai. WHO will oversee distribution to sites involved in the Ebola response. PCR testing enables labs to verify infections and enhance surveillance of known cases. Confirmed results help health teams determine patient care, isolate cases, and conduct contact tracing. This latest supply package strengthens laboratory capacity amid ongoing efforts to monitor transmission across several provinces and health zones in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Earlier, the European Commission arranged another €2.5 million package of rapid molecular point-of-care tests and testing devices. These will support the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s regional response. Together, the two diagnostic agreements total €4.6 million. They are part of a larger European aid package for countries dealing with the Bundibugyo Ebola emergency. The aid includes medical supplies, preparedness efforts, and public health resources to bolster responses in affected and neighboring areas.
Testing capabilities increase during significant outbreak
By August 12, WHO reported 4,665 confirmed cases and 2,184 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The outbreak had spread across 54 health zones in six provinces. These include Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé. WHO called this the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country. The agency also noted ongoing transmission within connected geographic clusters. This puts continuous pressure on surveillance teams, laboratories, treatment centers, and local health services.
WHO maintained a very high national risk level for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its August update. The risk to neighboring countries was classified as high, while elsewhere it was low. After a meeting of its International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on August 24, WHO issued updated temporary guidelines. These address surveillance, case detection, infection prevention, clinical care, and community engagement. Public health measures related to mobility and large gatherings are also included during the ongoing response.
European health aid now totals €493 million
The European Commission announced that it has allocated €493 million for emergency aid, vaccines, treatments, and health security in the Great Lakes and Uganda regions. European health agencies also support laboratory work, surveillance, and preparedness activities. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control continues to rate the risk to Europeans as very low. Ebola mainly spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids, making rapid detection, safe clinical practices, and infection control vital to limiting transmission.
The Bundibugyo virus outbreak remains a public health emergency of international concern under WHO’s framework. Currently, there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease. Authorities rely on surveillance, rapid diagnosis, isolation, clinical care, infection prevention, and contact monitoring. The new PCR supplies increase testing capacity for these efforts. WHO, Africa CDC, and national health agencies coordinate operations to quickly identify cases and uphold public health measures in affected communities.