BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / RankWire.AI / – The European Commission has entered into an agreement to acquire €2.1 million worth of PCR tests to combat the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak. These open-platform tests will enhance detection capabilities and bolster laboratory infrastructure during the crisis. The procurement was arranged with assistance from the European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Shipments are scheduled to commence in August, supplementing diagnostic supplies as health authorities respond to increasing case numbers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The PCR testing kits will be shipped to the World Health Organization’s Hub for Global Health Emergencies Logistics in Dubai. WHO will coordinate their distribution to affected areas participating in the Ebola response. PCR testing is crucial for confirming infections quickly, as laboratories can process large sample volumes with high precision. The equipment is compatible with existing laboratory setups, enabling faster diagnosis. Prompt confirmation allows health teams to identify infected individuals, provide appropriate care and isolation, and conduct contact tracing around confirmed cases.
This procurement follows a separate agreement by the European Commission, which allocated €2.5 million for rapid molecular point-of-care tests and testing devices to support the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Altogether, the two agreements bring the European Union’s latest diagnostic support to €4.6 million. These measures are part of a broader European effort to respond to the Bundibugyo virus outbreak, which has increasingly strained health systems in parts of Central and East Africa.
Testing capabilities expand as outbreak intensifies
By August 12, WHO reported a total of 4,665 confirmed cases and 2,184 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The outbreak has spread across 54 health zones in six provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo and Bas-Uélé. WHO characterized this as the largest Ebola epidemic ever documented in the country. Transmission remains intense, with interconnected geographic clusters driving ongoing spread within affected regions.
On August 14, WHO maintained its highest national risk level for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, rating neighboring countries’ regional risk as high and other nations’ risk as low. Following its second meeting, the agency issued updated temporary guidelines on August 24 covering surveillance, case detection, infection prevention, clinical management, community engagement, and measures related to domestic mobility and gatherings.
European support now totals €493 million
The European Commission announced the mobilization of €493 million for emergency relief, vaccines, treatments, and health security initiatives across the Great Lakes and Uganda regions. European health authorities have also contributed to surveillance, laboratory efforts, and preparedness activities during the outbreak. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control continues to assess the risk to Europe as very low, citing the low likelihood of sustained transmission and the requirement for direct contact with infectious fluids.
The Bundibugyo outbreak remains classified as a public health emergency of international concern, a status declared by WHO on May 17. Unlike the more common Zaire ebolavirus, the Bundibugyo strain currently lacks an approved vaccine or targeted 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 supports laboratory capacity, while WHO and Africa CDC coordinate health response efforts with national authorities in affected and neighboring countries.