WHO declares Congo Ebola outbreak a global health emergency after 80 die

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak spreading across the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the highest level of global health alert under international law.

The declaration comes after a rapid rise in cases linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, with health officials warning that cross-border transmission, population displacement and ongoing conflict in eastern Congo are increasing the risk of further spread.

At least 246 suspected cases and more than 80 deaths have been reported in Congo’s Ituri province, according to African health authorities.

The outbreak is centred around the mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara, although suspected infections have also emerged in the provincial capital Bunia.

Uganda has confirmed a fatal imported case involving a Congolese patient who travelled to Kampala for treatment before dying from the disease. Authorities say there is not yet evidence of widespread local transmission inside Uganda, but emergency surveillance and screening measures have been stepped up.

The WHO said the outbreak meets the threshold for a coordinated international response because of the potential for regional spread and the operational challenges facing health workers on the ground. However, officials stopped short of classifying the outbreak as a pandemic emergency.

The Bundibugyo strain is considered particularly concerning because there are currently no approved vaccines specifically targeting it. Most existing Ebola vaccines were developed for the more common Zaire strain, which has caused previous deadly outbreaks in central and west Africa.

Health experts have also raised concerns over the security situation in eastern Congo, where armed groups, mass displacement and poor sanitation are complicating efforts to trace contacts and isolate infections.

This marks the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976. The last outbreak officially ended in December 2025.

The WHO, Africa CDC and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now coordinating support efforts, including surveillance, laboratory testing, contact tracing and emergency response deployments.