Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya has warned that the Ebola outbreak has become a wider continental health security concern, saying the virus has reached three African regions for the first time.
Kaseya said the spread of the disease required urgent and coordinated action from African governments and international partners, cautioning that delays in releasing pledged response funds were putting more lives at risk.
In a statement shared after an interview with The Guardian, the Africa CDC chief revealed that two-thirds of the funds pledged towards the outbreak response were yet to be released.
He warned that the funding gap was slowing efforts to contain the disease and exposing families and frontline health workers to greater danger.
The warning comes amid concerns over the ability of health authorities to respond effectively to outbreaks when financial and logistical support is not made available on time.
Response funding is critical in supporting surveillance, laboratory testing, medical supplies, infection prevention and control, treatment services and community awareness programmes. It also helps health teams identify suspected cases, trace contacts and limit further transmission.
Kaseya said he was working closely with African leaders to ensure health workers could safely access communities affected by the outbreak, particularly areas experiencing conflict.
He noted that insecurity in some locations could make it difficult for medical teams to reach patients, investigate suspected infections and deliver essential services.
The call for safe access highlights the challenges facing outbreak response teams, who must navigate both public health emergencies and security threats while trying to reach vulnerable populations.
Kaseya's remarks also underline the need for African countries to strengthen cooperation in responding to infectious disease threats, given that outbreaks can cross national borders and affect communities far beyond their initial locations.
The Africa CDC chief urged partners to honour their financial commitments, stressing that pledged resources must be released quickly enough to support ongoing response operations.
His warning adds to growing calls for stronger regional coordination, timely funding and protection of frontline personnel as health authorities work to prevent further spread of Ebola.
