Statement From CDC Regarding the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Declaration To End Of Ebola Outbreak

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) commends the dedicated efforts of those in the DRC whose hard work and commitment stopped the most recent Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Africa in less than 2 months. This highlights what is possible when countries are prepared to prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks.

Nine disease detectives from the DRC’s Field Epidemiology Training Program, modeled after CDC’s successful Epidemic Intelligence Service, responded early on and contributed to swiftly bringing the Ebola outbreak under control. The DRC graduated its first disease detectives in 2010. CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners supported the DRC Ministry of Public Health in all aspects of the response, including epidemiological investigation, surveillance, logistics and supplies, communication, and community engagement. CDC has a long-standing relationship with DRC, establishing a CDC Office in the DRC in 2002. CDC works with the DRC Ministry of Public Health on a variety of health issues, including preparation and response in the event of disease outbreaks such as Ebola. For this Ebola outbreak, CDC staff in DRC were integral to the response. CDC deployed three disease detectives from CDC headquarters and sent rapid diagnostic tests to the DRC.

CDC works 24/7 to protect Americans from dangerous disease threats, and supports ministries of health around the world to strengthen critical public health services to stop diseases where they start.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES