The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Sunday a public health emergency of international concern, in the face of the Ebola epidemic which is hitting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. This is the second highest alert level.
According to a press release published on the social network
The PHEIC was previously the highest alert level for an epidemic under the International Health Regulations (IHR), a legally binding framework for States parties to the WHO. But amendments adopted in June 2024 introduced a higher level of alert: that of “emergency due to a pandemic”.
The DRC is currently hit by the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola, against which there is no vaccine. As of May 16, WHO has confirmed eight laboratory cases and recorded 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri province in eastern DRC, as well as another confirmed case in Kinshasa and one death in Uganda among travelers recently returned from Ituri.
15,000 deaths in 50 years
The African Union’s health agency, the Africa CDC, recorded 88 deaths likely due to the virus out of 336 suspected cases, according to the latest figures published on Saturday.
Since the outbreak of the epidemic is in an area that is difficult to access, few samples have been tested in the laboratory and the assessments are mainly based on cases of suspicion.
The DRC experienced an Ebola epidemic between August and December 2025, with at least 34 deaths. The deadliest epidemic there caused nearly 2,300 deaths and 3,500 patients, between 2018 and 2020.
Ebola, which causes an extremely contagious hemorrhagic fever, remains formidable despite recent vaccines and treatments, effective only against the Zaire strain which causes the largest epidemics recorded. The virus has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.
This article has been automatically published. Sources: ats / afp
