Dr Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa CDC,
Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa,
Dear colleagues, partners and friends from the media,
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, and thank you for joining us.
Earlier this week, I returned from DRC, where I travelled to the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in the province of Ituri.
I saw and heard first-hand the challenges that the communities are facing, and that the government and partners are facing, as we race to control this outbreak as quickly as possible.
The outbreak is moving fast, and we are still playing catch-up.
But my trip to the DRC also gave me real hope that together, under the government’s leadership, we can bring this outbreak under control.
The only way we will do that is through government leadership, community ownership and close partnership between the many actors on the ground.
Today, WHO and Africa CDC are expressing that partnership by launching a joint continental preparedness and response plan.
The objective is straightforward: we need to stop the outbreak where it is, support countries that are responding today, and ensure that neighbouring countries are ready to detect and act quickly if cases appear.
There are several important features of this plan.
First, it’s a shared plan. The only way to beat this outbreak is through close partnership, working together under the leadership of the affected countries in one coordinated effort, guided by a simple principle: one plan, one budget, one team.
Second, this is a practical plan. It sets out what we need to do now, together, to contain the current outbreak and reduce the risk of further spread.
Third, it’s a time-bound plan, covering June to November this year.
And fourth, it’s a costed plan, at US$ 518 million.
That figure represents the combined effort of WHO, Africa CDC and key partners including UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, the IFRC and FIND.
Africa CDC and WHO are also establishing a joint financial tracking mechanism to monitor funding needs, commitments and gaps.
The plan focuses on core areas: emergency coordination, surveillance, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control, clinical care, and community engagement.
It also provides for research, logistics, and the continuity of essential health services, which are often disrupted during outbreaks.
Experience shows that success depends on how well these elements function together.
Surveillance must lead quickly to testing. Testing must trigger isolation and care;
Infection prevention must protect health workers and patients;
And community engagement must be continuous, grounded in trust, and responsive to concerns.
This plan builds directly on national response plans in the DRC and Uganda, where authorities are intensifying efforts to bring the outbreak under control.
It also supports preparedness in neighbouring countries, where cross-border movement creates ongoing risk.
WHO is engaged at all three levels to support the response.
But technical work alone is not enough. Containing Ebola depends on political commitment, sustained financing, and the trust and engagement of communities.
This plan places communities at the centre, because without their participation, contact tracing falters, safe care is delayed, and transmission continues.
Misinformation is almost as dangerous as the virus itself, and spreads just as fast.
Earning and keeping the trust of communities is at the heart of everything we do.
We are not starting from zero. This plan draws on lessons from previous Ebola outbreaks and recent health emergencies.
Those lessons are clear: speed matters, coordination matters, and consistency matters.
The opportunity now is to act with clarity and discipline, using a common plan to guide a common effort.
If we do that, we can bring this outbreak to an end and strengthen the systems that protect people from the next one.
This is a serious outbreak and it’s one we know how to stop but we need to move fast and together.
No country faces this alone.
As I said earlier, the key to this plan is partnership, especially between the Africa CDC and WHO.
I’m therefore pleased to invite the Director-General of the Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, to say a few words.
Jean, over to you.