MEP Leire Pajín (S&D) has submitted a written parliamentary question to the European Commission urging immediate action on the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization. The Bundibugyo virus strain, for which no approved vaccines or treatments exist, has spread from the Democratic Republic of the Congo into Uganda, affecting urban and cross-border areas with high population mobility and insecurity. Pajín's question directly impacts EU public health preparedness, African regional health systems, pharmaceutical research stakeholders, and humanitarian aid operations.
Pajín filed the question on 20 May 2026 under Rule 144 of the European Parliament's rules of procedure. The question contains two concrete asks: first, what immediate humanitarian, financial and technical support the Commission is providing to the DRC, Uganda and neighbouring countries to strengthen surveillance, testing, isolation capacities and cross-border coordination; second, what measures the Commission is taking with international partners to support research and development on vaccines and treatments for Ebola, and to protect European citizens.
Policy orientation
The question signals a push for rapid EU engagement in global health security, emphasising the gap in medical countermeasures for the Bundibugyo strain. Pajín frames the outbreak as a serious risk to regional and global health security, implicitly pressing the Commission to accelerate R&D funding and cross-border health cooperation. The reference to protecting European citizens also highlights a domestic security dimension.
Expected follow-up
The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. The answer will indicate the scale of EU financial commitments, coordination with the WHO and other international partners, and any plans to support vaccine or treatment development. The response will signal whether the Commission prioritises immediate containment or longer-term R&D investment, and how it balances humanitarian aid with European health security interests.