President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Tuesday that South Africa will increase its financial contribution to the Ebola response effort to US$13.5 million.
Ramaphosa, serving in his capacity as the African Union Champion for Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention and Response, made the announcement during a High-Level Virtual Meeting of Heads of State, Government and Partners. The meeting was convened by Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi and Chairperson of the African Union.
The summit aimed to mobilize African and international solidarity to contain the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, while strengthening preparedness in countries at risk of regional transmission.
During the meeting, Ramaphosa urged leaders to maintain or increase their financial pledges and called on those with prior commitments to convert them fully into cash, medical countermeasures, or technical assistance. He expressed concern over the lack of a vaccine, antiviral, or specific biotechnology in the current arsenal against the Bundibugyo strain. Citing the West Africa Ebola epidemic, he warned that delayed action can transform a localized outbreak into a regional or global crisis, emphasizing that the immediate focus must be on breaking transmission at its source.
Ramaphosa cautioned that the volatile environment in the affected regions is undermining public health measures. He called on political leaders to establish safe corridors for the passage of goods and services and to seek a ceasefire to allow an unhindered response. He also stressed the necessity of strengthening cross-border collaboration, expanding rapid diagnostic testing, contact tracing, and community awareness.
While expressing full support for the efforts of GAVI, CEPI, and other partner organizations, Ramaphosa stressed that Africa must reduce its indefinite reliance on external markets and production systems during health emergencies. He advocated for accelerated investment in local manufacturing, the strengthening of the African Medicines Agency, and the operationalization of the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism. He noted that African manufacturers require predictable markets and that countries need reliable access to lifesaving products during emergencies.
Additionally, Ramaphosa endorsed the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) stance against imposing blanket and unsubstantiated travel bans. He concluded by calling on African financial institutions, development banks, philanthropies, the private sector, and international partners to join governments in the response effort through solidarity and mutual responsibility.