Africa Daily – Focus on Africa: Can DRC be Declared Ebola Free?

Podcast: Africa Daily (BBC World Service)
Air Date: October 21, 2025
Host: Nyasha Michelle

Overview: Main Theme & Episode Purpose

This episode examines three key African stories:

1. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) milestone in its latest Ebola outbreak, exploring whether it can now be declared Ebola-free.
2. Rising tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea concerning Red Sea access, including the wider regional and international implications.
3. The awarding of the Africa Food Prize to Nigerian scientist Mercy Diabouru Ojo for her groundbreaking work on disease-free yam and cassava crops.

Segment 1: DRC’s 16th Ebola Outbreak – Are We Ebola-Free?

[00:55–12:20]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Ebola Outbreak’s Current Status

  • Last Ebola patient discharged from Kasai Province (DRC) on October 20, 2025, launching a 42-day countdown to officially declaring the outbreak over (if no new cases appear).
  • Latest outbreak specifics: 64 reported cases (53 confirmed), 43 deaths.

• Interview with Dr. Daniela Mano [03:54–12:20]

  • Clinical Epidemiologist, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; led large Ebola vaccine trial in DRC.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Official Status

  • "No, it's not officially over. On the 20th of October, the last case was discharged from hospital, which is brilliant news. So from that day, the 42 days countdown has now begun."
    — Dr. Daniela Mano [03:54]

• Significance of the Milestone

  • Changes since first outbreak in 1976: “Now we have two vaccines that have been licensed … we are more ready to respond … worked on new treatments, vaccines, diagnostics.”
    — Dr. Daniela Mano [04:26-05:19]

• Key Lessons Learned

  • Community involvement and ring vaccination (vaccinating contacts and their contacts) are critical to halting transmission.
  • "Ebola transmission can be stopped only when there is a collaboration of the community."
    — Dr. Daniela Mano [05:36]

• Role of Vaccinations

  • Vaccines are now integral, with early vaccines and treatments greatly reducing mortality.
  • "It's extremely important because now vaccines are an integral part of the response."
    — Dr. Daniela Mano [06:38]

• Causes of Continued Occasional Outbreaks

  • Ebola’s likely reservoir is in wildlife (probably bats), with rising human-animal contact due to environmental change.
  • "With environmental degradation … increasing the contacts between humans and wildlife, there is the chance that these outbreaks will increase."
    — Dr. Daniela Mano [07:34]

• Who Is Most at Risk?

  • Health care workers and caregivers (often women, due to traditional roles); pregnant women are particularly vulnerable.
  • "Pregnant women are particularly at risk ... they are more likely to transmit infection to healthcare professionals, because ... obstetric care often involves exposure to blood."
    — Dr. Daniela Mano [08:35]

• Recognizing Symptoms & Need for Better Diagnosis

  • Initial symptoms are non-specific: fever, muscle/bone pain, headache, followed by diarrhea/vomiting and, in advanced cases, hemorrhaging.
  • "It's really important that when the community is worried about a disease that doesn't seem to improve ... to get the attention of healthcare workers and healthcare systems."
    — Dr. Daniela Mano [11:05]

Segment 2: Ethiopia-Eritrea Tensions & Red Sea Dispute

[12:20–22:21]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Background: Ethiopia lost Red Sea access after Eritrea's independence (1993). Ethiopia, now landlocked, seeks to regain access, focusing on the port of Assab.

• Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Position:
  "If we are thinking of living together, ... we all have to share what we have in a balanced way."
  — Abiy Ahmed [13:00]

• Historical Context Explained by Analyst Abdul Rahman Syed

  • Details 1952 UN-imposed federal union, subsequent violation, eventual Eritrean independence.
  • No inherent access issue under international law, but current tensions are due to perceived Ethiopian annexation ambitions.

• Current Tensions:

  • Ethiopia’s demands for access seen as aggressive, with suspicions they may seek outright sovereignty over strategic ports in Eritrea (Assab) and Somalia (Berbera in Somaliland).
  • Neighboring countries—Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia—firmly resist any annexation.

• Role of Outside Actors – The UAE

  • The United Arab Emirates seen as backing Ethiopia’s quest for sea access, seeking military and commercial dominance in the Horn of Africa.
  • The UAE has sought port agreements for military bases and trade strength.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "There is now external factors that is pushing the Ethiopian government …[the] visible one at present is the United Arab Emirates, which has very strong relationship with the Ethiopian Prime Minister."
  — Abdul Rahman Syed [16:06, 19:27]

• "The UAE's regional policy has been aggressively pursued to exert influence over countries well beyond the UAE Gulf region. The Horn of Africa is one of them."
  — Abdul Rahman Syed [19:27]

• On Prospects for War

  • Both Ethiopia and Eritrea’s leaders use external threats to sustain their hold on power.
  • "Both countries may also want to use the threat of war or the war itself to prolong their rules...Other than that, I do not personally see any benefit to either countries and either regimes going to war."
    — Abdul Rahman Syed [21:22]

Segment 3: Feeding Africa – Disease-Free Yams & Cassava Win Top Prize

[23:09–30:31]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Prize Overview

  • Dr. Mercy Diabouru Ojo awarded Africa Food Prize for research that revolutionizes access to disease-free yam and cassava planting materials via hydroponic technology.

• Nature of the Breakthrough

  • Traditional dependence on re-planting “chunks” of prior harvests leads to accumulation of diseases such as cassava brown streak virus.
  • New hydroponics-based multiplication produces planting materials free from pathogens, boosting yields and farmer livelihoods.

• Expanded Reach

  • The seed system now covers >15 African countries, starting in Nigeria and expanding to DRC, Angola, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and more.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On her motivation
  "When you know that you are making more impact in lives, in people's lives, farmers' lives especially, then you are driven … by more inspiration to do more."
  — Mercy Diabouru Ojo [24:20]

• Explaining the Problem & Solution
  "The problem has always been there… But is the solution… farmers accessing high quality planting materials for vegetatively propagated crops like cassava, like yam."
  — Mercy Diabouru Ojo [25:16]

• Describing Technology Impact
  "After using this tool, this technology to massively produce this planting material, we had to set up a seed system … to multiply and make them available to downstream farmers. It has never been like that in the past."
  — Mercy Diabouru Ojo [27:33]

• On Young People in Agriculture
  “Personally, young people and women, I’m very passionate and particular about those groups … to empower them to make sure they become successful when they come on board.”
  — Mercy Diabouru Ojo [29:24]

Timestamps to Major Segments

• Ebola in DRC & Dr. Daniela Mano Interview: [00:55–12:20]
• Ethiopia-Eritrea Red Sea Tensions (feat. Abdul Rahman Syed): [12:20–22:21]
• Africa Food Prize Interview with Dr. Mercy Diabouru Ojo: [23:09–30:31]

Memorable Moments

• “Ebola transmission can be stopped only when there is a collaboration of the community.” —Dr. Daniela Mano [05:36]
• “Both countries may also want to use the threat of war or the war itself to prolong their rules...” —Abdul Rahman Syed [21:22]
• “The sector is now more attractive. Yes, we still have issues here and there, but … you have it more attractive, more urban and all of that.” —Mercy Diabouru Ojo [29:24]

Episode Takeaways

• The DRC is on the cusp of declaring an end to its 16th Ebola outbreak, thanks to vaccines, rapid intervention, and vital community involvement.
• Tensions over Red Sea access illuminate not only regional rivalries between Ethiopia and Eritrea but also the powerful influence of Gulf States like the UAE in African geopolitics.
• Innovations in agricultural science, such as disease-free seed systems for yam and cassava, can offer dramatic improvements for food security and rural livelihoods across Africa.

For more big stories and African perspectives, follow "Focus on Africa" from BBC World Service.