PAHO boosts Caribbean and Americas Ebola readiness as Africa outbreak continues

The Pan American Health Organization says it is increasing assistance to health authorities across the Americas, including the Caribbean, as countries prepare for the possibility of an imported Ebola case linked to the outbreak in Africa.

The move follows the World Health Organization’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern connected to the continuing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

PAHO said the threat to the Americas is still considered low, and no Ebola infections have been recorded in the region. Even so, the agency has switched on its Incident Management System to guide and coordinate regional preparedness.

According to PAHO, its teams are working with ministries of health to tighten disease surveillance, improve laboratory testing, strengthen infection prevention and control, and sharpen operational planning, “so countries can rapidly detect, isolate and care for people with suspected infection.”

“Countries in the Americas are not currently affected by Ebola, and the risk to the region remains low, but preparedness is our strongest tool to reduce risks and ensure a timely response,” said Dr. Ciro Ugarte, director of Health Emergencies at PAHO. “Even with low risk, countries must be ready to detect and respond quickly to any possible importation to protect health workers and communities, and to prevent further transmission.”

The agency is also working with the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, known as GOARN, a WHO-led network of technical bodies and response partners, to host regional discussions aimed at helping countries improve their readiness.

One technical meeting, arranged by PAHO’s Emergency Operations Center on June 3, drew 394 people from 30 countries in the Americas. Participants included national Ebola preparedness and response personnel, along with representatives of GOARN partner organisations in the region.

PAHO said the group examined core readiness areas such as laboratory diagnosis, biosafety, clinical care, infection prevention and control, medical evacuation, and safe and dignified burials.

The June 3 session featured 12 speakers, panellists and moderators from PAHO, WHO, Johns Hopkins University/NETEC, Emory University/NETEC, Médecins Sans Frontières, ISARIC/University of Oxford, and the University of São Paulo Hospital, with PAHO saying the mix showed “broad technical collaboration to strengthen Ebola readiness in the Americas.”

A second meeting is planned for June 10, bringing together health ministries and GOARN partners from across the Americas. PAHO said that discussion will look at how the network functions, ways countries can access international technical help, and how national experts from the region may be deployed to assist outbreak response work.

The follow-up session will also focus on contact tracing and Go.Data, a digital surveillance tool developed by WHO and GOARN for health emergencies. PAHO said examples will include lessons from Brazil’s measles response and Uganda’s Ebola response.

To help countries prepare at the operational level, PAHO has released technical guidance on the safe collection, handling, packaging and transport of samples that may contain the virus. The documents also address laboratory processing and inactivation procedures.

“These provide practical, step-by-step guidance to strengthen biosafety and diagnostic capacity,” PAHO said.

The organisation said it is also arranging shipments of materials and reagents needed for molecular testing for Bundibugyo ebolavirus. Those supplies are being prepared for selected countries that have suitable biosafety capacity, with decisions guided by risk assessments.

PAHO said it is helping countries secure timely laboratory analysis by supporting the referral of samples to specialised laboratories in the region. In one recent May incident, the agency assisted with sending samples from the Bahamas to a PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Hemorrhagic Fevers at the CDC in Atlanta, United States, after travellers with recent stays in affected areas were identified.

“Although both individuals tested negative for Ebola, these precautionary measures ensured that critical testing was completed without delay,” PAHO said.

The agency said it is updating regional risk scenarios and helping countries plan for essential supplies, including personal protective equipment, laboratory materials and other items needed for Ebola readiness.

PAHO is circulating tools that help estimate both the amount and type of supplies required under different scenarios, including triage, patient care, cleaning, transport and safe burial.

“These tools aim to support advance procurement and stockpiling, while promoting effective infection prevention and control in healthcare settings,” PAHO said.

As of June 2, 2026, PAHO said Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus was still developing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the agency reported 344 confirmed infections and 60 confirmed deaths, with another 116 suspected cases being investigated. Confirmed cases have been found in several provinces, among them Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.

Uganda has recorded 15 confirmed cases, including one death, PAHO said. Confirmed infections have been reported in two districts, and health workers are among those infected.

WHO’s risk assessment classifies the outbreak as “very high at the national level in affected countries, high at the regional level in Africa, and low at the global level,” PAHO said.

PAHO described Ebola as a serious illness spread through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of infected people who have symptoms, or through contact with contaminated materials.

The agency said there are currently no licensed vaccines or treatments for Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus. However, it said early supportive care can greatly increase the chances of survival.

“Strong public health measures — including surveillance, isolation and care, contact tracing, and community engagement to build trust and support early care seeking — remain key to controlling outbreaks,” PAHO said.

PAHO also repeated WHO’s guidance under the International Health Regulations (2005), saying countries should improve preparedness without placing restrictions on travel or trade.

For countries not affected by the outbreak, PAHO said recommended measures include better detection and care of travellers with fever, closer communication with transport and border agencies, clear information for travellers on symptoms and when to seek medical attention, and fast reporting of suspected cases.

The agency noted that WHO does not recommend broad travel restrictions, warning that such steps may interfere with response operations and supply chains while doing little to reduce risk.

PAHO said it will continue working with countries throughout the Americas to build preparedness, strengthen health systems and support coordination with global partners in case imported Ebola cases are detected in the region.