The Ebola outbreak in Africa could reach the UK and other countries, Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has warned. In comments published by the Guardian on 28 October, he called for better preparedness in health services and the urgent release of funding pledged to tackle the outbreak.
His warning concerns the possible spread of infections, rather than the detection of Ebola in the UK. Kaseya did not give a numerical estimate of the likelihood of that scenario. His appeal is for greater readiness and treatment capacity before the outbreak reaches more countries.
Infections reported in four African countries
According to the Guardian, the outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, with infections recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria. Kaseya said this was the first time an Ebola outbreak had affected three African regions, describing its geographical reach as unprecedented.
The newspaper reported a total of 10,091 cases, including 10,060 in the DRC. The figures it cited included 4,887 deaths in the DRC, alongside two deaths in Uganda and two in Kenya. These are the totals reported in the publication on 28 October, not the number of new infections and deaths recorded in a single day.
As the newspaper explains, the virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or the bodies of those who have died from the infection. There is no approved treatment for Bundibugyo virus, and vaccine trials are continuing.
Pledged funding has yet to arrive in full
The response faces obstacles beyond shortages of medical supplies. The Guardian describes a lack of protective equipment and unpaid staff wages, as well as armed conflict, mistrust, misinformation and aid cuts. Together, these barriers make it harder to contain infections and provide care.
According to Kaseya, governments have pledged $3 billion towards the outbreak response, but more than $2 billion has yet to be disbursed. He named the United States, the UK and the European Union among international donors.
Kaseya also called for screening and testing at entry and exit points for travellers arriving from affected regions. This is a proposal from the Africa CDC chief, not an announcement of new rules at UK borders. For people in the UK, the central distinction remains that his warning concerns the need to prepare, rather than confirmed infections in the country.
