WHO declares Ebola outbreak a global health emergency after 80 deaths | World | News
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola epidemic ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the highest level of global health alert under international law.
The announcement follows a sharp increase in cases linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus; Health officials have warned that cross-border transmission, displacement of populations and ongoing conflict in eastern Congo increase the risk of further spread of the virus.
At least 246 suspected cases and more than 80 deaths have been recorded in Congo’s Ituri province, according to African health officials.
The outbreak is concentrated in the mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara, but suspected infections have also emerged in the provincial capital Bunia.
Uganda has confirmed a fatal imported case involving a Congolese patient who traveled to Kampala to receive treatment before succumbing to the disease. Although emergency surveillance and screening measures have been significantly strengthened, there is yet no evidence of widespread local spread in Uganda, officials say.
WHO stated that the outbreak met the threshold for a coordinated international response due to the potential for regional spread and the significant operational challenges faced by healthcare workers in the field. However, authorities refrained from classifying the outbreak as a pandemic emergency.
The Bundibugyo strain is considered particularly concerning because there is currently no authorized vaccine specifically designed to combat it. The majority of existing Ebola vaccines were developed for the more common Zaire strain, which has previously triggered deadly outbreaks in central and western Africa.
Health officials have also expressed alarm about security conditions in eastern Congo, where armed militias, mass displacement and poor sanitation have hampered attempts to trace contacts and contain infections.
This represents the 17th Ebola outbreak documented in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the virus was first discovered in the country in 1976. The previous epidemic officially ended in December 2025.
WHO, Africa CDC, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are currently coordinating relief efforts, including surveillance, laboratory testing, contact tracing, and emergency response deployments.
