DRC-China: Coordination of Ebola response activities at the center of discussions

Kinshasa, June 10^th, 2026 (CPA).- The coordination of Ebola Virus Disease response activities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was at the center of discussions on Wednesday in Kinshasa between a delegation of Chinese experts and the Director General of the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB). “Diseases know no borders. The Chinese expert group has come here to work hand in hand with the Congolese side to fight this outbreak. The laboratory plays a very important role, and I believe we will collaborate with the INRB on capacity building, particularly in diagnostics, in order to contain the epidemic as quickly as possible,” said Mr. Lu Ming, head of the Chinese delegation. “After already providing equipment and laboratory reagents, we are here today to listen and gain a clear understanding of the INRB’s current needs so that we can effectively guide the next phase of our cooperation,” he added. Addressing the delegation, Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe called for direct technical support to the INRB, emphasizing the priority of strengthening diagnostic capacity and modernizing its biobank to meet international standards in order to enhance the country’s response to public health emergencies. “We have a biobank containing more than 1,000 samples from different diseases, including Mpox, cholera and others. (…) Perhaps China could assist us in establishing a proper biobank that meets international standards,” he appealed. Following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of Ebola Virus Disease in the DRC as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the Chinese government responded by dispatching this team of experts to the country.