Facing the risk of Ebola, the Central African Republic strengthens preparedness

Bangui-Located in a region that has faced several Ebola outbreaks in recent years, the Central African Republic is reinforcing its preparedness. With support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, the country organized a preventive vaccination campaign targeting health professionals and community health workers. Conducted from January to April 2026, the campaign was implemented across all 35 health districts in the country's seven health regions.

This initiative is part of measures taken by health authorities to better protect populations against epidemic risks. Health professionals, community workers and local volunteers are the ones who contribute daily to safeguarding communities. Pinda Astrid, a community health worker at the Bangui 1 health facility, was among those vaccinated. For her, the vaccine represents an additional layer of protection in her work. "Today, I consider this vaccination an essential preventive measure. It allows me to carry out my work with greater confidence, while helping protect the people I support every day," she explains.

Ebola disease is a severe illness transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or certain animals carrying the virus. When outbreaks occur, they can have devastating consequences for communities and put immense pressure on health services. Although no cases have been recorded in the Central African Republic, the risk remains a concern for health authorities. The country shares a long border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has experienced several Ebola outbreaks in recent years, sometimes in areas close to Central African territory.

For Dr Pierre Somse, Minister of Health and Population, the choice of preventive vaccination is based on a risk analysis. "We are exposed to a double risk: that of an imported epidemic and that of an epidemic occurring within our borders," he notes.

To translate this preventive approach into concrete action, the Ministry of Health received technical support from WHO and its partners. Teams worked together to prepare the vaccination campaign, train staff, monitor data and conduct community awareness activities. In total, 52 010 doses of the ERVEBO® vaccine were made available to the country. The campaign vaccinated more than 41 400 people from priority groups, achieving a national coverage rate of 84%. Among them were almost 29 000 health professionals and frontline workers.

Beyond vaccination, the initiative also helped strengthen the health system's preparedness. Teams improved their skills, monitoring mechanisms were reinforced and coordination among different actors was enhanced to enable a faster response in case of an alert. "This campaign shows the importance of acting before an emergency occurs. By protecting health professionals and other priority groups, while strengthening the health system's preparedness, it helps the country better face a potential Ebola threat," explains Dr Alhassane Touré, responsible for introducing new vaccines at WHO in the Central African Republic.

The success of the initiative also relied on community trust. In several localities, information and awareness activities addressed people's concerns and explained the importance of vaccination. Yamba Jordan, a community volunteer in the Lakouanga 6 neighborhood of Bangui, admits he hesitated at first before getting vaccinated. "At the beginning, I didn't really see the need to get vaccinated against Ebola. But after the explanations provided by the health teams, I understood the importance of this vaccination," he says.

Community trust is essential to the success of prevention efforts. It also helps strengthen ties between communities and health services, a key element for quickly detecting and limiting the impact of potential health threats. Beyond the number of people vaccinated, the campaign strengthened collaboration between communities and health services, while improving the organization of the health response. The work carried out during the campaign leaves the country with gains that can be mobilized against other health threats.