WHO Announces Ebola Crisis: Over 130 Fatalities in Congo and Uganda
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern” on Sunday, May 17, 2026. This declaration, marking the WHO’s second-highest alert level, comes in the wake of an outbreak that has led to over 130 fatalities and shows signs of rapid escalation.
As of May 16, 2026, the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases, and 80 suspected deaths. In Kampala, Uganda, two laboratory-confirmed cases, including one death, were reported among individuals traveling from the DRC. The outbreak is attributed to the Bundibugyo virus strain, which has a fatality rate estimated between 25% and 40%. Unlike other Ebola strains, there are currently no approved Bundibugyo virus-specific therapeutics or vaccines.
WHO officials have expressed deep concern about the scale and speed of the outbreak. Healthcare workers are struggling to reach hundreds of thousands of war refugees in besieged parts of the region. Years of armed conflict, mass displacement, and humanitarian crises in eastern Congo are significantly complicating containment efforts. The organization warned of a “high regional risk” due to population movement, porous borders, and ongoing transmission in multiple health zones, though it does not yet meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency.
Source: CNN