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WHO Declares International Health Emergency Over Ebola Outbreak in DRC and Uganda

A rare Bundibugyo strain without an approved vaccine raises the risk of wider regional spread.

Staff members at CBCA Virunga Hospital prepare rooms intended for possible Ebola cases following official announcements in Goma on Sunday.
A health worker and an unidentified woman are seen outside an isolation ward for suspected Ebola patients at Bundibugyo Hospital in December 2007.
Ugandan Red Cross workers place a coffin, containing an Ebola victim, into a grave during a burial in October 2022 in Mubende, Uganda.

Overview

  • WHO, which declared the emergency on Sunday, cited rising reports in Ituri and spread beyond the outbreak zone.
  • The UN agency reports eight lab-confirmed cases, about 246 suspected infections and about 80 suspected deaths centered in Ituri.
  • Uganda confirmed two cases in Kampala, including one death, and Congo reported a Kinshasa case linked to Ituri travel.
  • Africa CDC cited higher totals of up to 336 suspected cases and 88 deaths, pointing to gaps in testing and access in conflict areas.
  • With no Bundibugyo-specific vaccines or treatments, WHO urged countries to coordinate surveillance, keep borders open, and prepare for an emergency committee briefing.