Ebola Virus Disease: A New Challenge in Peacekeeping Missions, Medical Practices, and Preventive Measures for the Thai Horizontal Military Engineering Company in South Sudan

Abstract

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) peacekeeping operations by the Thai Horizontal Military Engineering Company (Thai HMEC) are facing a non-traditional security threat from the resurgence of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Africa. In May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of Bundibugyo ebolavirus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Consequently, South Sudan faces high epidemiological vulnerability due to its shared borders with the affected regions. A major clinical challenge of this crisis is that the Bundibugyo strain currently lacks approved targeted vaccines or definitive therapies, making outbreak control entirely dependent on strict patient isolation and preventive medicine strategies.
In response, the Level 1 Hospital of the Thai HMEC (Rotation 6) has elevated its health surveillance and early detection protocols. Comprehensive infection prevention and control (IPC) practices have been stringently enforced, including mandatory hand hygiene campaigns and the installation of alcohol gel stations across the unit. Concurrently, isolation facilities have been prepared, personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpiles verified, and continuous biosecurity training provided to medical staff and troops. Although no EVD cases have been reported within South Sudan to date, these systematic medical preparedness and health security reinforcement measures are vital to mitigate infection risks, sustain operational readiness, and ensure the safety of Thai peacekeepers.