WHO raises highest global alert over Ebola outbreak in Congo, Uganda

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, warning that the disease poses a growing cross-border threat.

In a statement issued on Saturday, WHO said the outbreak has not yet met the criteria to be classified as a pandemic emergency under the International Health Regulations, despite mounting concerns over its spread.

The global health agency said the decision followed engagements with authorities in DR Congo and Uganda as infections linked to the outbreak continue to rise amid fears of regional transmission.

WHO disclosed that Ituri Province in eastern DR Congo has recorded 8 confirmed Ebola cases, 246 suspected infections and 80 suspected deaths as of Saturday.

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The agency added that Uganda confirmed two Ebola cases in Kampala between May 15 and 16, including one fatality, involving travellers who recently arrived from DR Congo.

Another confirmed case was also detected in Kinshasa involving an individual who had travelled from Ituri Province, according to the WHO.

The organisation noted that unusual clusters of community deaths showing symptoms associated with Bundibugyo virus disease had been reported across several health zones in Ituri, while suspected infections have extended into North Kivu Province.

WHO further revealed that at least 4 healthcare workers died in suspected viral haemorrhagic fever-related incidents, raising concerns over infections within healthcare facilities and weak prevention protocols.

The agency warned that the outbreak could be significantly larger than current figures suggest due to uncertainties surrounding the actual number of infections and the extent of transmission.

According to the WHO, increasing reports of suspected cases and deaths, high positivity rates from tested samples and confirmed infections in Kampala and Kinshasa indicate that the disease may already be spreading more widely than detected.

The organisation also cautioned that insecurity, humanitarian crises, population movement, urban transmission risks and informal healthcare systems may worsen the outbreak and complicate containment efforts.

WHO stressed that no approved vaccines or targeted therapeutics currently exist for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola responsible for the latest outbreak, unlike the Ebola Zaire variant.

The agency noted that the confirmed spread into Uganda demonstrates that the outbreak has already crossed borders, placing neighbouring countries at elevated risk because of trade and frequent population movement.

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WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is expected to convene an emergency committee to recommend temporary measures and strengthen international response efforts.

The Public Health Emergency of International Concern designation is WHO’s highest alert mechanism and is reserved for serious health events that threaten multiple countries and require coordinated global action.