The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is intensifying its health security operations across Africa in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and increasing mpox preparedness in several countries, including Angola, Ethiopia, DRC, Malawi, South Sudan, and Uganda. The organization is currently active at 90 points of entry and cross-border locations across 15 countries, focusing on mobility data collection, border official training, cross-border coordination, disease surveillance, and risk communication to protect mobile and vulnerable communities in high-risk areas.
Frantz Celestin, IOM’s Regional Director for East, Horn, and Southern Africa, emphasized that the organization’s main objective is to ensure full operational capacity at all points of entry and to strengthen the health systems protecting border communities and travelers. These coordinated efforts are designed to prevent disease spread along major migration and trade routes.
Following the Ebola outbreak declared in DRC’s Kasai Province on 4 September 2025, IOM swiftly deployed teams to assist the Ministry of Health and local partners in containment efforts. By 16 October 2025, DRC had recorded 64 cases and 45 deaths. Given the high population mobility and limited health access in border communities, IOM has established screening points along major transport routes, completing over 169,000 screenings to date. The organization is also supporting contact tracing and community engagement initiatives to reduce transmission risks.
In Angola, IOM and its partners are developing joint contingency plans to strengthen border preparedness, while in Uganda, lessons learned from the earlier Sudan Virus Disease outbreak are being used to improve future response strategies. These actions also address broader infectious disease threats such as cholera, mpox, and measles.
Simultaneously, IOM is bolstering mpox preparedness and response efforts in multiple countries. In Uganda and Ethiopia, authorities are utilizing IOM’s mobility data to guide public health planning, while in Malawi and South Sudan, IOM is supporting surveillance, contact tracing, and vaccination efforts at key border crossings.
Through its health security initiatives, IOM promotes cross-border collaboration, joint surveillance, and the sharing of best practices among African nations. Although Ebola and mpox outbreaks have eased, the risks of re-emergence remain. IOM continues to work closely with governments and partners to enhance border readiness and ensure that safe, regular, and healthy human mobility contributes to stronger regional and global health security.
