Kampala, Uganda – India has dispatched a second consignment of emergency medical supplies to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), as the continent battles a worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 43-tonne shipment, sent to Kampala, Uganda, contains protective gear, diagnostic and monitoring equipment, sample transport kits, infection prevention supplies, medicines and nutritional supplements. It follows a request from the African Union Commission and is intended to strengthen public health preparedness and Ebola response capacity across the continent.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced the dispatch on social media platform X. 
“India has dispatched the second tranche of medical assistance to Africa CDC, comprising protective gear, diagnostic and monitoring equipment, medicines, and supplements. Confident that this 43 tons consignment will further strengthen public health preparedness and bolster Ebola response capacities across the African Union,” he wrote.
The latest shipment follows a first consignment of approximately 2.5 tonnes dispatched on 24 May, which included protective gear, medical monitoring equipment, essential medicines and nutritional supplements. The Africa CDC received that initial delivery through the Indian High Commissioner in Uganda, Upender Singh Rawat.
The second and larger consignment was assembled after Africa CDC submitted a more detailed assessment of its operational requirements, with the expanded package addressing needs related to disease surveillance, diagnosis, patient care and infection control.
The World Health Organization declared the Ebola situation in the region a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 May. Ebola is a potentially fatal illness transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated materials or infected animals, with symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
On 31 May, the Africa CDC welcomed India’s emergency assistance, expressing gratitude for New Delhi’s support during the public health crisis.
India has stepped up medical assistance to African countries in recent years, supplying medicines and vaccines during public health emergencies including the COVID-19 pandemic.
