South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is undertaking an official solidarity visit to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, this Thursday, July 2. His visit is in his capacity as the African Union’s Champion for Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention, and Response (PPPR). This high-level mission comes as the DRC faces its 17th outbreak of the Ebola epidemic.

President Ramaphosa, accompanied by South African Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Thandi Moraka, is scheduled to meet with his Congolese counterpart, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi. The meeting aims to demonstrate the African Union’s collective support for the government and people of the DRC in confronting the ongoing Ebola crisis.

A key objective of this visit is to enhance the coordination of the continental response to this urgent health situation. The South African presidency emphasized that this mission will provide high-level political guidance to strengthen Africa’s coordinated efforts against the Ebola epidemic. It also seeks to consolidate regional collaboration, boost cross-border preparedness, and mobilize political, technical, and financial commitments from AU member states and their partners.

The African Union underscores that these combined efforts are crucial not only for containing the current epidemic but also for sustainably bolstering African public health systems and improving the continent’s resilience against future health crises.

As the AU Champion for Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention, and Response, President Ramaphosa is tasked with providing political leadership and overseeing the Ebola response. His role also includes fostering solidarity with affected nations and frontline responders.

To date, African Union member states have pledged over $100 million to the African Epidemics Fund. Globally, financial commitments to support the fight against Ebola have surpassed $910 million. South Africa alone has announced a contribution of $13.5 million.

Two days after the official declaration of the epidemic in the DRC, on May 17, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain and subsequently spreading to Uganda, as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

The WHO noted that the epidemic has expanded geographically, and its true scale might be underestimated. The situation is further compounded by significant population mobility, fragile healthcare systems, inadequate health infrastructure, difficulties in accessing conflict-affected areas, and the absence of a specific vaccine or treatment for this particular viral strain.

Despite these considerable challenges, DRC authorities maintain a reassuring stance, rejecting any alarmist narratives. They highlight the extensive efforts undertaken in collaboration with national and international partners to contain the epidemic. They also point to the country’s extensive experience in managing health crises, having successfully contained sixteen previous Ebola outbreaks through significant response operations.