India and the African Union have postponed a major summit originally scheduled for New Delhi next week, citing a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
India’s foreign ministry said both sides agreed it would be advisable to reschedule the Fourth India–Africa Forum Summit, which had been set for May 28–31, in light of “the emerging public health situation on the continent.”
The outbreak, declared last Friday in eastern DRC, has already produced around 600 probable cases with 139 suspected deaths — making it the country’s 17th Ebola episode.
The World Health Organisation noted Wednesday that the virus had likely been spreading for months, rating the regional risk as high while the global risk remains low.
Ebola has claimed more than 15,000 lives across Africa over the past five decades.
India said it stands ready to support Africa CDC-led efforts to contain the crisis and called for stronger public health preparedness across the continent. Delhi’s international airport has also issued health advisories for passengers arriving from DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan. New dates for the summit are yet to be announced.
