Kisangani, July 12th, 2026 (CPA). – The Minister in charge of Public Health said on Sunday in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo Province in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), that his mission is aimed at accelerating the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) response in order to rapidly contain the outbreak, during a meeting with partners involved in the response. « The purpose of our visit is to ensure that the response to the emergence of Ebola Virus Disease cases in Tshopo is launched without any delay. Our objective is, first, to contain the outbreak here in the province and, secondly, to protect the entire population of the Democratic Republic of Congo from any further spread of the disease, » said Dr. Samuel Roger Kamba. The Minister highlighted Kisangani’s strategic geographical position, linked to several provinces through the Congo River and air transport, noting that this situation increases the risk of disease transmission. He said his mission is to assess the situation on the ground and determine the most urgent measures required to contain the health crisis. He further stressed that the high-level delegation accompanying him—including the Secretary-General for Health, the Inspector General of Health and the Deputy Director-General of the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB)—reflects the Government’s determination to ensure a rapid, coordinated and effective response to the outbreak. During the meeting, field response teams presented the epidemiological situation in Tshopo, including the evolution of confirmed cases, contact tracing, risk factors and the organization of response activities.
They also outlined priority needs in terms of logistics and infrastructure, the required budget and operational objectives for the next six months. At the conclusion of the meeting, several decisions were adopted jointly with the response partners. These include the construction of two Ebola Treatment Centers by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the provision of additional ambulances to the province by the Government, and the implementation of measures to strengthen surveillance and prevent the spread of the disease through river and land transport routes.