Ebola in DRC and Uganda: WHO declares an international health emergency

This decision, announced by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in accordance with the International Health Regulations, comes as health authorities fear a regional outbreak that will be difficult to contain.

According to the latest figures communicated as of May 16, 2026, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths were recorded in the province of Ituri, in eastern DRC. The health zones of Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu are among the most affected. Suspicious outbreaks have also been reported in neighboring North Kivu, a region already marked by previous health and security crises.

Fear of spread

International concern intensified after the confirmation of two cases in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, among travelers returning from the DRC. One of the patients died. Another confirmed case was also detected in the Congolese capital Kinshasa, more than 2,000 kilometers from the epicenter of the epidemic. Health authorities now fear a spread favored by the high mobility of populations and cross-border trade.

In its press release, the WHO emphasizes that the event represents a high risk for international public health, even if it does not meet the criteria for a global pandemic. The UN agency highlights several aggravating factors: persistent insecurity in eastern Congo, the humanitarian crisis, the urban density of certain affected areas and the existence of a vast network of informal medical structures complicating the monitoring of patients.

Experts are also concerned about transmission of the virus in health care settings. At least four deaths of caregivers with symptoms consistent with viral hemorrhagic fever have been reported. This situation reveals gaps in infection prevention and control measures, including the lack of protective equipment and training of medical staff.

Another subject of concern: the current absence of a vaccine or specific treatment approved against the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. Unlike the Zaire strain, responsible for previous deadly epidemics, this variant remains less studied and therapeutic tools remain limited.

Intensify information campaigns

Faced with the emergency, WHO calls on the DRC and Uganda to immediately strengthen health surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory capacities and isolation of suspected cases. The authorities are also invited to intensify information campaigns among local communities in order to limit resistance and rumors.

At the same time, the UN agency recommends reinforced control at the borders and in the main routes of circulation, without however closing the borders or suspending international trade. The WHO believes that such restrictions could encourage uncontrolled illegal crossings and worsen the spread of the virus.

An emergency committee must now be convened to define new temporary recommendations and coordinate the international response to this health crisis which revives the specter of major Ebola epidemics in Central Africa.