WHO declares Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, Uganda a public health emergency

GENEVA – 17 May 2026: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday declared the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern.”

The UN health agency said the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, does not meet the criteria to be classified as a pandemic emergency.

In DR Congo’s Ituri Province, 80 suspected Ebola-related deaths have been reported, alongside eight laboratory-confirmed infections and 246 suspected cases, according to WHO.

In neighboring Uganda, two laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases, including one fatality, were identified in Kampala on May 15 and 16 among travelers arriving from DR Congo.

WHO said the two cases appeared to have no direct epidemiological link to each other.

A separate confirmed case was also recorded on May 16 in Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo, involving a person returning from Ituri Province, raising fears of wider domestic spread.

WHO warned that countries sharing land borders with DR Congo face a high risk of further transmission due to extensive cross-border movement, trade and travel connections, as well as continued uncertainty surrounding the scale of the outbreak.

The organization urged international cooperation to assess the outbreak, coordinate surveillance and response efforts, and bolster effective control measures.