BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / RankWire.AI / – European Commission has committed to acquiring €2.1 million worth of PCR tests to support the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak. These open-platform diagnostics aim to improve infection detection and bolster laboratory capabilities amid the emergency. The procurement was coordinated with assistance from the European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Supplies are expected to start arriving in August, providing additional diagnostic resources as health authorities respond to increasing case counts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The PCR testing kits will be delivered to the World Health Organization’s Hub for Global Health Emergencies Logistics based in Dubai. WHO will oversee their distribution to regions involved in the Ebola response. PCR diagnostics are vital for confirming infections, as laboratories can process numerous samples efficiently and with high precision. Furthermore, the equipment is compatible with existing laboratory infrastructure. Rapid confirmation of cases allows health teams to identify infected individuals, organize appropriate treatment and isolation, and facilitate contact tracing efforts around confirmed cases.
This latest procurement complements a separate agreement by the European Commission, which allocated €2.5 million for rapid molecular point-of-care tests and testing devices. These supplies are intended to support the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Collectively, these two initiatives bring the European Commission’s total diagnostic support to €4.6 million. These measures form part of a broader European response to the Bundibugyo virus outbreak, which has exerted increasing pressure on health systems in affected parts of Central and East Africa.
Expansion of Diagnostic Support as Outbreak Intensifies
By August 12, WHO had reported 4,665 confirmed cases and 2,184 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The outbreak affected 54 health zones across six provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé. WHO described this as the largest Ebola epidemic ever documented in the country. The agency also noted that transmission remained intense, with interconnected geographic clusters contributing to ongoing spread within affected regions.
As of August 14, WHO maintained its highest national risk classification for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It identified the regional risk for neighboring countries as high, while the threat to other nations was deemed low. On August 24, following a second meeting of its International Health Regulations Emergency Committee, WHO issued updated temporary guidance. This covers areas such as surveillance, case detection, infection prevention, clinical management, community engagement, and measures related to domestic mobility and mass gatherings.
European Assistance Reaches €493 Million to Combat Ebola
The European Commission announced the mobilization of €493 million dedicated to emergency aid, vaccines, treatments, and health-security measures across the Great Lakes region and Uganda. European health authorities have also contributed to surveillance, laboratory activities, and preparedness efforts throughout the outbreak. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control continues to assess the risk to populations in Europe as very low, based on the low likelihood of sustained transmission, given the need for direct contact with infectious body fluids.
The Bundibugyo outbreak remains classified as a public health emergency of international concern, a designation declared by WHO on May 17. Unlike the more frequently reported Zaire ebolavirus, the Bundibugyo virus currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment available. WHO stresses the importance of surveillance, rapid diagnosis, isolation, clinical care, infection control, and contact monitoring as essential response strategies. The recent PCR procurement by the European Commission enhances laboratory capacity, supporting these efforts while WHO and Africa CDC coordinate health responses with national authorities in affected and neighboring countries.