Written question asked by Liz McInnes (Labour) on Monday, 8 July 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 10 July 2019. It was answered by Harriett Baldwin (Conservative) on Monday, 15 July 2019 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the potential risk of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo spreading to South Sudan.

Answer: The risk of spread to countries neighbouring eastern DRC remains high, including to South Sudan. This is why the UK is the leading donor to regional preparedness efforts in neighbouring countries, helping support a range of activities, including screening at border crossings and the vaccination of health workers. The recent confirmed Ebola case in Ariwara, DRC, 70km from South Sudan, has further encouraged the international community to step up preparedness activities, particularly in high-risk areas along the border, in the support of the Government of South Sudan.

Secondary information