President Ramaphosa to attend High-Level Meeting on Ebola outbreak

His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as the African Union Champion for Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention and Response, will this afternoon, 16 June 2026, participate in a High-Level Virtual Meeting of Heads of State, Government and Partners on the Ebola outbreak.

The meeting has been convened by His Excellency Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi and Chairperson of the African Union.

It aims to mobilise 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.

The high-level engagement seeks to align political leadership, financial commitments and technical interventions around the joint response and preparedness plan led by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which is co-leading the response with the World Health Organization (WHO), supported by various international partners.

Heads of State and Government, financing institutions, donor countries and development partners are expected to confirm concrete financial pledges and commitments, including in-kind contributions, technical assistance, logistical support and security-sensitive operational assistance.

The immediate objective is to mobilise resources towards the USD 518 million response and preparedness package required to contain the outbreak, protect vulnerable populations and strengthen regional health security.

The President is expected to deliver a statement at 14h15 (SAST) and we will live stream

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to President Ramaphosa on [email protected]

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria