East African Community (EAC) member states have agreed to harmonise Ebola surveillance and screening measures at airports, ports and land border crossings in a bid to curb the cross-border spread of the disease.
The decision was reached during the 8th Extraordinary Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health, held virtually on June 1 and 2, amid heightened concern over the ongoing Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to a statement issued by the EAC Secretariat, ministers agreed that a coordinated regional response was critical to preventing further transmission of the disease across member states.
"To strengthen prevention of cross-border transmission, the Ministers agreed on the need to harmonise Ebola surveillance and protective measures at airports, ports and land border crossings across all EAC Partner States," the statement said.
The ministers directed partner states to strengthen surveillance and control measures in affected areas, official points of entry and porous border crossings in line with national regulations and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
As part of the agreed measures, the EAC Secretariat, working with the East African Community Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA) and other regional bodies, was tasked with urgently convening a meeting to standardise screening procedures, traveller health declaration requirements and other public health protocols.
Member states were also directed to introduce exit screening at designated points of entry while intensifying risk communication, community engagement, sanitation interventions and disease surveillance activities.
The meeting further approved the establishment of an EAC Regional Technical Taskforce on Ebola Response and other high-consequence diseases.
"In a major step towards strengthening regional coordination, the Ministers agreed to establish an EAC Regional Technical Taskforce on Ebola Response and other high-consequence diseases," the statement noted.
The taskforce will comprise experts nominated by partner states and the EAC Secretariat. It will be responsible for monitoring outbreaks, coordinating technical interventions, analysing epidemiological trends and providing regular updates to policymakers across the region.
Each partner state has been directed to nominate two health experts and one official responsible for EAC affairs to serve on the taskforce.
The ministers also underscored the importance of timely sharing of epidemiological information among member states to facilitate early detection of cases, strengthen preparedness and improve outbreak response coordination.
The resolutions come as health authorities continue to monitor Ebola cases in both Uganda and the DRC.
Figures presented during the meeting showed that as of June 1, 2026, the DRC had recorded 121 confirmed cases of Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease and 1,077 suspected cases. The country had also registered 17 deaths among confirmed cases and 246 deaths among suspected cases.
Uganda had reported 11 confirmed cases and one death linked to the outbreak.
A total of 642 contacts had been identified in Uganda, with 638 remaining under active follow-up by health authorities.
The ministers said the figures underscore the urgent need for enhanced regional cooperation, preparedness and rapid response mechanisms.
To strengthen disease detection capacity, partner states were directed to facilitate the deployment of EAC mobile laboratories and technical experts at strategic locations, including border crossings and outbreak hotspots.
The EAC Secretariat was also tasked with mobilising additional financial and technical resources to support surveillance and response activities, while expediting the procurement and deployment of container laboratories across the region.
The meeting noted that ten EAC mobile laboratories have already been deployed across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the DRC to support rapid testing and detection of suspected Ebola cases.
Recognising the importance of a skilled health workforce during disease outbreaks, ministers directed the Secretariat to mobilise resources for training frontline healthcare workers in Ebola prevention, preparedness and response.
They also approved refresher training programmes for members of the East African Community Pool of Rapidly Deployable Experts, focusing on infection prevention and control, outbreak management, risk communication and community engagement.
The ministers further welcomed ongoing efforts to accelerate the approval and registration of Ebola vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostic tools through a regional framework being developed in collaboration with the African Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization.