An ongoing Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus has prompted European public health authorities to deploy a field assessment team to two of Africa’s busiest international airports, producing findings that offer clear set of recommendations for strengthening the global perimeter against further spread.
Between June 15 and 21, 2026, the EU Health Task Force (EUHTF), led by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and including experts from two EU Member States, conducted a fact-finding mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The team assessed airport exit screening procedures at N’djili International Airport in Kinshasa and Entebbe International Airport in Kampala. A formal assessment report was published June 29, 2026.
The Bundibugyo virus, one of several species within the Ebola virus genus, has been affecting the DRC primarily since May 2026, with the outbreak centered in the country’s eastern provinces. Cases have since crossed into Uganda, with infections identified in Kampala and surrounding areas — a development that underscores the role of major urban transport hubs in regional disease spread and the urgency of effective border health measures.
Both Countries Demonstrate Strong Political Commitment and Operational Readiness
The EUHTF team found that both countries have established coordinated exit screening systems underpinned by strong political commitment at the ministerial level. In the DRC, an appointed Incident Manager from the Institut National de Santé Publique (INSP) provides centralized oversight. In Uganda, leadership flows through the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (NPHEOC), supported by a fully activated incident management system.
At both airports, screening processes involve multi-sectoral collaboration spanning public health authorities, aviation stakeholders, border and migration services, security forces, and international partners including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The mission team noted a high degree of transparency and willingness to facilitate access by external reviewers — a finding the report flags as essential for ongoing system improvement.
Operationally, both airports have deployed thermal imaging cameras, hand hygiene stations, and health declaration systems — both digital and paper-based — at primary screening points. Secondary screening areas staffed by medical personnel are available for travellers flagged during initial checks, and isolation facilities and on-site ambulances are in place for suspected cases requiring immediate referral. The report notes that DRC’s N’djili Airport includes a dedicated isolation centre in a separate building adjacent to the terminal, along with two ambulances.
Both countries also benefit from institutional memory: the DRC and Uganda have each managed multiple Ebola outbreaks in the past, and the assessment found that this experience is reflected in the maturity of coordination mechanisms, staff familiarity with procedures, and structured escalation pathways.
Critical Gaps Identified in Digitalization, Screening Flows, and Risk Communication
Despite the overall positive findings, the mission identified several areas requiring targeted intervention. Among the most significant is the partial transition to digital health declarations. While both countries have introduced digital systems — accessible via QR codes at departure points — the parallel use of paper-based forms risks fragmenting data collection and complicating downstream contact tracing and follow-up.
The report also calls for improvements to passenger processing flows at N’djili Airport, where screening throughput needs streamlining to avoid creating bottlenecks that could reduce traveller compliance. A related concern is that logistical constraints — such as the presence of non-travelling individuals like family members and luggage porters within screening areas — complicate consistent application of screening protocols.
Risk communication was rated as strong in the DRC, where health messaging is prominently displayed throughout the airport environment, but the report identifies room for expansion in both countries, particularly around contextual information and accessibility.
The team also cautioned that border closures and movement restrictions, while sometimes considered as containment tools, carry the risk of pushing travel through unofficial, less-monitored routes — a dynamic that could impede timely detection of suspected cases.
Sources and further reading:
Fact-finding mission on airport exit screening – EU Health Task Force