WHO donates PCR kits to Sierra Leone for Ebola and Marburg preparedness

The World Health Organization (WHO) has donated 480 PCR test kits and approximately 500 extraction materials to Sierra Leone’s National Public Health Agency (NPHA). The donation aims to strengthen the country’s capacity for the early detection of Ebola and Marburg virus diseases.

This support arrives as the region faces an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO has declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Unlike the Zaire strain, there is currently no approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain, making rapid testing and isolation critical for defense.

While Sierra Leone has no confirmed cases as of October 27, 2026, the Bundibugyo outbreak has recorded over 9,400 cases and 4,500 deaths across several provinces in the DRC, with reported cases in Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria.