(JUBA) – South Sudan has been included in a major regional Ebola preparedness and response programme after African and international health agencies launched a joint emergency strategy worth US$518 million aimed at containing the spread of the virus across East and Central Africa.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa CDC, and the World Health Organization, WHO, launched the six month continental response plan following concerns over the continued spread of Ebola cases linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has already crossed borders into Uganda, raising fears among health experts that infections could spread further within the region.
South Sudan is among several countries identified as high risk because of cross border movement, trade links and humanitarian mobility between neighbouring states.
According to the Pandemic Fund, a multilateral financing mechanism hosted by the World Bank, an emergency financing package worth US$220.6 million has been approved to strengthen response efforts across affected and vulnerable countries.
Of this amount, up to US$175.7 million will be redirected from existing programmes to support immediate emergency activities in countries including South Sudan, the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Another US$44.9 million will be released through accelerated financing procedures to support preparedness activities in Uganda, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo.
Health officials say the regional approach is intended to improve coordination between governments, health agencies and humanitarian organisations in order to prevent wider transmission of the disease.
WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak could only be controlled through coordinated cooperation under the leadership of affected countries.
Africa CDC Director General Dr Jean Kaseya described the financing package as an important step towards supporting both emergency response measures and preparedness activities across the region.
Additional support has also been pledged by international health partners and donor organisations.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, committed US$50 million towards the response effort, while the Gates Foundation pledged US$15 million and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, CEPI, committed US$8.6 million.
The CDC Foundation has also appealed for more flexible financing arrangements to strengthen emergency response capacity.
The six month strategy focuses on surveillance systems, laboratory testing, infection prevention, clinical treatment, logistics, emergency coordination and community awareness campaigns.
Regional health agencies say the programme will also support research activities and help maintain essential health services during the outbreak response period.
Preparedness and response measures are already being implemented in affected and high risk countries, with health authorities increasing screening, surveillance and emergency coordination systems.
In 10 priority countries, governments and regional institutions are strengthening public health preparedness systems aimed at improving early detection and rapid containment of possible cases.
For South Sudan, the programme comes at a time when the healthcare system continues to face pressure from limited infrastructure, funding shortages and the impact of repeated humanitarian emergencies.
Health experts warn that cross border trade routes and population movement between South Sudan, Uganda and the DRC increase the importance of rapid disease surveillance and coordinated regional cooperation.
The response plan also aims to ensure that ongoing health programmes targeting mpox, cholera and measles continue operating without disruption during Ebola response operations.
Regional agencies say maintaining routine healthcare services while responding to disease outbreaks remains critical in order to avoid wider public health and economic consequences across East and Central Africa.