India Postpones Africa Summit Due to Ebola Outbreak

India and the African Union have postponed the Fourth India–Africa Forum Summit, which was scheduled to take place in New Delhi from 28 to 31 May, following a severe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

India’s foreign ministry said the decision was made “mindful of the emerging public health situation on the continent… the two sides agreed that it would be advisable to convene the Fourth India–Africa Forum Summit at a later date.”

The summit had been planned to bring together leaders from both regions to discuss cooperation on a range of issues. India stated it was prepared “to contribute to Africa CDC‑led efforts aimed at addressing the evolving health situation.”

The World Health Organization reported that the risk from the deadly Ebola outbreak is high in central Africa but remains low globally, noting that the virus has likely been circulating for months. The outbreak, declared in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, is the 17th Ebola epidemic in the country and is already suspected of causing 139 deaths out of approximately 600 probable cases.

In response, Delhi’s international airport issued a health advisory on Thursday for passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan.

New Delhi emphasized the importance of “continued cooperation in strengthening public health preparedness and response capacities across the continent” and said new dates for the summit would be announced later.

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