DRC and South Sudan adopt joint Ebola roadmap as Haut-Uélé toll reaches 408 cases

Health authorities from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, backed by the World Health Organization, have adopted a joint cross-border surveillance roadmap at Aba, a border town in DRC's Haut-Uélé province, as the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak continues to spread.

As of 17 October 2026, Haut-Uélé province had recorded 408 confirmed cases and 176 deaths, with 7 of its 13 health zones affected. Aba itself has recorded no cases, but its proximity to the South Sudanese border and the presence of more than 26,000 South Sudanese refugees in its health zone make it a priority surveillance site.

Officials from both countries met at Aba — approximately 18 kilometres from the border — to establish shared mechanisms for information exchange, disease surveillance, joint investigations and risk communication. The meeting produced a coordinated timetable for ongoing cross-border operations.

Dr Simon Sebit Yatoma, medical director of South Sudan's Yei River County, said the two sides were working together so that any case could trigger a rapid joint response, noting that viruses do not recognise borders.

Dr Patrick Banza Piongo, head of the Haut-Uélé provincial health division, said the volume of population movement between Aba and the Yei health zone made joint mechanisms essential.

WHO supported the coordination meeting between the two countries' health authorities. The Aba health zone sits approximately 436 kilometres from Isiro, the provincial capital.