Ministry of Foreign Affairs Monitors "Explosion" of Ebola Outbreak in Congo and Kenya

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Indonesian government, through the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Nairobi, is actively monitoring the spread of the Ebola outbreak in several African countries.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu) is closely monitoring the situation through KBRI Nairobi, particularly the developments of the Ebola outbreak spreading in the Republic of Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo," said Heni Hamidah, Director of Indonesian Citizen Protection, during a press conference at the Kemenlu in Jakarta on Thursday (22/10/2026).

The World Health Organization (WHO) previously reported at least 8,728 confirmed Ebola cases in the Congo as of October 6, 2026.

Of these, 4,205 patients have died.

However, Heni assured that there have been no reports of Indonesian citizens affected by the outbreak so far.

"As of now, there have been no reports of Indonesian citizens being infected or impacted by the outbreak," she stated.

She emphasized that they will continue to monitor the conditions of Indonesians in the countries currently affected by the Ebola outbreak.

Coordination with local authorities will also continue.

"We will keep monitoring and coordinating with local authorities, of course," Heni remarked.

According to Al Jazeera on Sunday (11/10/2026), the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, one of the species of the virus that causes Ebola disease.

WHO reported that infections have been found in 64 health zones across seven provinces in the Congo.

Kenya previously confirmed its first case on Tuesday (6/10/2026).

The patient is a Kenyan national who had previously lived in the Congo.