The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo virus strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), citing growing fears over cross-border transmission and the spread of infections into urban areas.
In a statement issued Sunday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the decision followed consultations with authorities in both countries and was guided by scientific evidence, the risk of international spread, and the potential impact on global travel and trade.
Despite the emergency designation, WHO said the outbreak does not currently qualify as a pandemic-level event under the International Health Regulations (2005).
The UN health agency praised the governments of DR Congo and Uganda for their transparency and ongoing response efforts as health authorities race to contain the outbreak.
According to WHO, as of May 16, 2026, health officials had recorded eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected infections and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri Province in eastern DR Congo, particularly in the Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu health zones.
Uganda has also confirmed two laboratory-confirmed cases in Kampala, including one death, involving individuals who had recently travelled from DR Congo.
A separate confirmed case was reported in Kinshasa involving a traveller returning from Ituri Province, raising concerns about the virus reaching densely populated urban centres.
WHO said unusual clusters of community deaths and suspected infections had also emerged across Ituri and neighbouring North Kivu Province, fuelling fears that the outbreak may be spreading more widely than currently detected.
The organisation further disclosed that at least four healthcare workers had died in cases suspected to involve viral haemorrhagic fever, underscoring concerns over healthcare-associated transmission and weaknesses in infection prevention measures.
“There are significant uncertainties regarding the true number of infected persons and the geographic spread associated with this event at the present time,” WHO said in the statement.
The agency warned that the scale of the outbreak could be far greater than official figures suggest, citing high positivity rates among tested samples, rising reports of suspected infections and deaths, and the movement of cases into urban areas.
WHO also warned that insecurity, humanitarian pressures, population displacement and the use of informal healthcare systems could further complicate efforts to contain the virus.
The outbreak has raised additional concern because there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments specifically developed for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
WHO said an Emergency Committee would be convened under the International Health Regulations framework to recommend temporary measures and advise member states on further response actions.
