Italy’s Prime Minister Georgia Meloni’s office has called for increased surveillance coordination across European borders to tackle the spread of Ebola. The government is dispatching a team of experts from Rome’s Spallanzani infectious diseases hospital to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to assist with outbreak control and virus monitoring.
The recent outbreak of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus in Central Africa has raised concerns, prompting Italy to seek European support in managing arrivals from affected regions. Prime Minister Meloni has reached out to key EU leaders to advocate for improved border surveillance measures and common rules for handling travelers from impacted areas.
In addition to engaging at the European level, Italy is implementing national guidelines for health surveillance and monitoring protocols for individuals returning from regions with Ebola cases. The country is also mobilizing resources to support the DRC, including sending experts to Kinshasa for technical assistance, medical supplies delivery, and epidemiological surveillance reinforcement.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has highlighted the severity of the situation, with 906 suspected Ebola cases in the DRC and seven confirmed cases in Uganda. The risk level has been elevated to “very high” in the DRC, emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated international efforts to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread.
