More than 40 African health ministers met virtually on Thursday, convened by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, to discuss the rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain.

The ministers resolved to keep national borders open, emphasizing enhanced monitoring and coordination rather than travel bans, a stance explained by Africa CDC Director‑General Jean Kaseya.

Kaseya told the assembly that data showed the region was not yet winning the fight, but agreed that open borders could continue under stricter surveillance and joint response mechanisms.

The outbreak, first declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May, has now affected eight provinces, with Kenya and Nigeria reporting imported cases, while Uganda was declared Ebola‑free in August.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the DRC recorded 10,141 confirmed cases and 4,928 deaths by 26 October.

Kenya has confirmed nine Ebola cases and two deaths, all linked to a single cluster that began with a Kenyan man returning from the DRC via Uganda on 3 October.

The first patient died two days after testing positive at Nairobi Hospital, and eight additional infections were identified among his family and healthcare workers.

Kenya’s second Ebola death occurred on 23 October, involving a woman who was the third confirmed case in the cluster.

Contact tracing efforts have shown progress: 20 contacts completed the mandatory 21‑day quarantine and were cleared after remaining symptom‑free, while 98 contacts remain under observation.