BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / RankWire.AI / – The European Commission has announced a new initiative to acquire €2.1 million worth of PCR testing kits to aid the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak. These open-platform tests are designed to enhance infection detection capabilities and strengthen laboratory infrastructure during this emergency. The procurement process was coordinated with support from the European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Starting in August, deliveries will provide vital diagnostic supplies as authorities tackle increasing case numbers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The PCR tests will be sent to the World Health Organization’s Logistics Hub for Global Health Emergencies in Dubai. WHO will oversee their distribution to affected regions involved in the Ebola response. PCR testing is critical for confirming infections, as laboratories can process numerous samples with high precision. The equipment is compatible with existing lab infrastructure, enabling faster confirmation of cases which helps health teams to identify infected individuals, organize appropriate treatment and isolation, and conduct contact tracing around confirmed cases.
This procurement follows a separate European Commission agreement that provided €2.5 million for rapid molecular point-of-care tests and testing instruments. These supplies are intended to support the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. When combined, the two agreements bring the European Commission’s total diagnostic support to €4.6 million. These measures are part of a broader European effort to respond to the Bundibugyo virus crisis, which has increasingly strained healthcare systems in parts of Central and East Africa.
Diagnostic efforts expand as outbreak intensifies
By August 12, WHO reported that the Democratic Republic of the Congo had documented 4,665 confirmed cases and 2,184 deaths. The outbreak affected 54 health zones across six provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé. WHO described this as the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country. The organization also highlighted ongoing intense transmission, with interconnected geographic clusters contributing to continued spread within affected regions.
On August 14, WHO maintained its highest national risk level for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also assessed the regional risk for neighboring nations as high and for other countries as low. After its second meeting, the agency issued updated temporary guidelines on August 24, covering areas such as surveillance, case detection, infection prevention, clinical management, community engagement, and measures related to domestic mobility and mass gatherings.
European assistance now totals €493 million
The European Commission has announced the mobilization of €493 million in emergency aid, vaccines, treatments, and health-security measures across the Great Lakes region and Uganda. European health authorities also contributed to surveillance efforts, laboratory activities, and preparedness initiatives during the outbreak. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control continues to assess the risk to populations in Europe as very low, considering the low likelihood of sustained transmission and the need for direct contact with infectious bodily fluids.
The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak remains classified as a public health emergency of international concern, a designation made by WHO on May 17. Unlike the more common Zaire ebolavirus, the Bundibugyo strain currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. WHO emphasizes the importance of surveillance, rapid diagnosis, isolation, clinical care, infection control, and contact monitoring as core response strategies. The latest PCR procurement by the European Commission enhances laboratory capacity, supporting these efforts as WHO and Africa CDC coordinate health responses with national authorities in affected and nearby regions.