Red Cross workers gather to disinfect Rwampara general hospital before handling the body of a person who died of Ebola, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain, in Rwampara outside Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 21, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Following the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) declaration of the ongoing Ebola Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on Sunday (May 17, 2026), the Centre has directed all States and Union Territories to strengthen surveillance, hospital preparedness and rapid response systems.
In a communication to States, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said countries bordering the affected regions, including South Sudan, were at high risk of transmission, though the present risk to countries outside the affected African region remained low.
The Secretary, however, cautioned that growing international trade and travel necessitated “adequate preparedness and response capacities at all levels of the health system”.
Unusual clusters of fever
States have been asked to intensify surveillance under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) for unusual clusters of fever and symptoms suggestive of Ebola Disease, particularly among individuals with recent travel history to affected regions.
The advisory listed symptoms such as fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, rash and red eyes as warning signs requiring close monitoring.
The Ministry has also circulated a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) covering disease surveillance, sample collection, storage and referral mechanisms for suspected Ebola cases.
Isolation facilities
States have been instructed to identify designated isolation facilities and dedicated ambulances with infection prevention and control measures in place. The advisory also called for ensuring adequate availability of trained healthcare personnel, personal protective equipment (PPE), logistics support, laboratory facilities and critical care infrastructure.
The Health Secretary said the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, remained fully equipped to test samples from suspected Ebola cases identified either at Points of Entry or within communities.
Additional ICMR network laboratories would also be strengthened depending on the evolving situation, her letter said.
The communication stressed the need for establishing coordination mechanisms between NIV Pune, airport and port health authorities, State Surveillance Units and District Surveillance Units for timely referral and testing of samples.
Infection prevention and control
States have further been asked to reinforce infection prevention and control practices in healthcare facilities, including triage systems, isolation protocols, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning and biomedical waste management.
The advisory also called for refresher training programmes for healthcare workers, field-level staff and rapid response teams on clinical management protocols, contact tracing and infection control practices.
States and districts have been asked to keep multidisciplinary Rapid Response Teams in readiness for disease surveillance, outbreak control and clinical management of suspected cases.
Emphasising the importance of public communication, the Secretary asked States to disseminate accurate information to prevent misinformation and unnecessary public anxiety, while sensitising frontline healthcare workers on reporting pathways and infection-control measures.
Published – May 22, 2026 01:59 pm IST
