Health ministers from the eight East African Community (EAC) member states have agreed on urgent regional measures to strengthen the response to the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has now spread to neighboring Uganda, following an emergency virtual session on June 1 and 2, the bloc announced on Thursday.

The ministers expressed concern over the ongoing outbreak and stressed the need for collective action to prevent further cross‑border transmission. They agreed to harmonize Ebola surveillance and protection measures at all airports, ports, and land border crossings across the region.

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Member states were instructed to implement surveillance and control measures in affected areas, points of entry, and porous borders, in accordance with national regulations and World Health Organization guidelines. The ministers also called for an urgent regional meeting to harmonize control procedures, traveler health declaration requirements, and other public health measures at entry points.

Additionally, the officials decided to establish a regional technical working group to coordinate the response to the current outbreak. The group will be composed of experts appointed by member states and will be responsible for monitoring the outbreak, coordinating technical interventions, reviewing epidemiological trends, and submitting periodic reports to the ministers.

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