Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) have called for a strong and coordinated international response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, urging countries to commit more resources to contain the spread of the virus.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the group said it was closely monitoring the evolving situation and stressed the importance of preventing the outbreak from crossing borders.
"We continue to closely monitor the situation as it evolves, along with our partners, to ensure that this dangerous virus does not spread, including across borders," the leaders said.
The United States has already committed more than $700 million to the response effort, according to a U.S. health official, who also called on other countries to increase their contributions.
The funding is expected to support emergency response measures, surveillance systems and medical interventions aimed at controlling transmission in affected regions.
Efforts to develop vaccines are also gathering pace. Richard Hatchett, head of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, said candidate vaccines developed by the University of Oxford and Moderna could enter early-phase clinical trials as soon as July.
If the initial trials prove successful, field testing could begin within months, offering hope of a longer-term solution to contain the outbreak.
Health officials in Africa have warned that the situation could deteriorate rapidly if stronger measures are not implemented.
Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said the outbreak has the potential to become one of the worst on record.
"If we don't stop the outbreak very soon, it will be worse than what we had in West Africa and eastern DRC," Jean Kaseya told a virtual meeting of African leaders.
He was referring to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, which killed more than 11,000 people, as well as a later outbreak in eastern Congo.
A key concern remains the ability to trace and monitor those who may have been exposed to the virus. Officials say tens of thousands of contacts have yet to be identified or followed up.
Current data shows that only around 12% of expected contacts are under active monitoring, raising fears that undetected chains of transmission could fuel further spread.
The outbreak, driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, is centred in eastern Congo, where ongoing insecurity and limited access to healthcare have complicated response efforts.
With international support now being mobilised and vaccine development advancing, health authorities stress that rapid and coordinated action will be critical to preventing a wider crisis.
Experts warn that cross-border movement across Central and East Africa could increase the risk of international spread, making regional co-operation and early intervention essential to containing the outbreak.
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