The second Chinese anti-epidemic medical expert team arrived in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Friday to carry forward international cooperation in Ebola prevention and control.
Luku Maleyo Marius, a representative of the DRC health ministry, welcomed the team at the airport. The friendship between the DRC and China spans more than half a century, with particularly fruitful cooperation in the health sector, he said.
Gu Zhiqiang, head of the second Chinese expert team, said the team will start work as soon as possible and work closely with Congolese health authorities and institutions. The team will provide technical support in epidemiological investigation, laboratory testing, case treatment, infection prevention and control, and personnel training, contributing Chinese expertise to the DRC's efforts to improve its epidemic prevention, control, and treatment capacity, Gu added.
The second batch of Chinese experts prepares to leave for DR Congo at an airport in Beijing, China, July 3, 2026. (Photo: CMG)
On Thursday, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi expressed gratitude to friendly countries and international organizations, including China, for backing the DRC in its fight against Ebola.
The Ebola disease outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus (BVD) in the DRC had claimed 452 lives among 1,460 confirmed cases as of July 1, with transmission continuing to spread into new health zones, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday.
In its latest Disease Outbreak News update, the WHO said that as of July 2, Uganda had reported 20 confirmed cases, including two deaths, as well as one probable fatal case. Separately, on June 24, French authorities notified the WHO of a laboratory-confirmed BVD infection in a medical doctor who had returned from the DRC.