“Information is important. Being informed is part of prevention,” says Cosmas Sandani Lasuba, a South Sudanese refugee living in the Méri camp in the Aba health zone, about 18 kilometers from the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan. As President of the South Sudanese refugees settled at this site, Cosmas closely follows an awareness session on Bundibugyo virus disease. He is tasked with raising awareness among his peers about preventive measures.
“People must wash their hands and respect distancing. I think this is very important to avoid being infected with Ebola,” he explains. Like Cosmas, more than 26,000 South Sudanese refugees live in the Aba health zone. Located about 436 km from Isiro, the capital of Haut-Uélé province, Aba is a strategic surveillance point along the border with South Sudan. The proximity of communities, cross-border movements, and refugee flows require constant vigilance on both sides.
These population movements are a major concern as the Ebola outbreak has already affected several health zones in Haut-Uélé. As of 17 October 2026, the province had recorded 408 confirmed cases and 176 deaths, with 7 of its 13 health zones impacted. Aba has not reported any cases, but its geographical position and regular cross-border movements make it a high-risk area.
To reduce this risk, health authorities in the DRC and South Sudan, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), are strengthening cross-border surveillance and coordination to quickly detect alerts and prevent the virus from spreading beyond the border.
For Dr Simon Sebit Yatoma, Medical Director of Yei River County in South Sudan, the challenge is anticipation: “Ebola is in the DRC, and the DRC is close to Yei. That is why we are working together so that, if a case occurs, we are able to respond jointly and rapidly. As you know, viruses have no borders, and only our solidarity can help us defeat them.”
Health officials from both countries met in Aba to define common mechanisms for surveillance and response. The meeting resulted in a roadmap covering information sharing, disease surveillance, joint investigations, and risk communication.
“Since there are many movements between Aba and the Yei health zone, this was an opportunity for us to exchange and set up joint mechanisms to effectively fight the spread of this epidemic,” explains Dr Patrick Banza Piongo, Head of the Haut-Uélé Provincial Health Division. “We have established a schedule where each week we will share information on communication and disease surveillance. We will work together in coordination to carry out this fight jointly.”
At points of entry, the system relies on handwashing, temperature checks, and information collection to quickly identify travelers with suspicious symptoms. A temporary isolation space allows suspected cases to be held until a rapid response team intervenes for investigations, sample collection, and patient care.
In Aba, five of the eleven proposed entry and control points are already operational. However, challenges remain: the health zone faces shortages of personal protective equipment, inadequate isolation capacity, and the absence of an ambulance for transferring suspected cases. Assessments are underway by the Ministry of Health with partner support to fill these gaps as quickly as possible.
For WHO, this local cooperation must ensure that communities living on both sides of the border benefit from a coordinated response.
“Our priority is to strengthen the capacities of neighboring countries so they can quickly detect alerts, confirm suspected cases, and ensure patient care. This is essential to reduce the risk of Ebola spreading beyond borders,” emphasizes Dr Marie Roseline Bélizaire, Regional Director for Emergencies at WHO Africa.
WHO is also supporting capacity building in South Sudan and other neighboring countries at risk of importing the virus. This support includes assessing existing capacities, strengthening disease surveillance, training in contact tracing and investigations, enhancing laboratory detection and confirmation capacities, preparing treatment facilities, and training health professionals involved in all these activities. In Aba and Yei alike, this cooperation also foresees joint investigations, contact tracing, and harmonized awareness messages for communities.
In Méri, strengthened surveillance and prevention directly concern the thousands of refugees living near the border. In this context of an Ebola outbreak, Cosmas welcomes the attention given to them: “We appreciate the commitment of the authorities and partners who think of our health and act to protect our community against Ebola,” he concludes.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.