The World Health Organization on Wednesday sounded fresh alarm over a fast-growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, warning that the virus strain responsible for the epidemic currently has no approved vaccine or treatment.
Speaking during an emergency press briefing, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the worsening outbreak had become a serious regional threat, prompting the organisation to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Tedros explained that the outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a species for which no licensed vaccines or therapeutics are available.
“And fifth, this epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus for which there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics,” Tedros warned.
He noted that the lack of approved vaccines and treatment options has intensified fears over the ability of health authorities to contain the disease quickly, particularly as infections continue spreading in urban centres and among healthcare workers.
“In light of all these risks, I decided it was urgent to act immediately to prevent more deaths and mobilise an effective international response,” he stated.
According to WHO, 51 confirmed Ebola infections have been reported in the DRC’s Ituri and North Kivu provinces, including cases recorded in the cities of Bunia and Goma.
Uganda has also confirmed two Ebola cases in Kampala, including one fatality linked to travellers arriving from the DRC.
Tedros further disclosed that an American national who had been working in the DRC tested positive for the virus and was later transferred to Germany for treatment.
Despite the confirmed cases, health officials cautioned that the true scale of the outbreak could be significantly higher.
“Beyond the confirmed cases, there are almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths,” Tedros disclosed.
“We expect those numbers to keep increasing, given the amount of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was detected.”
The WHO chief highlighted several factors fuelling fears of wider transmission, including growing urban spread, infections among health personnel, mass displacement and persistent insecurity in eastern DRC.
“Deaths have been reported among health workers, indicating healthcare-associated transmission,” he said.
Tedros added that violence in Ituri province has escalated sharply since late 2025, forcing more than 100,000 people to flee their homes within the past two months.
“The area is also a mining zone, with high levels of population movement that increase the risk of further spread,” he added.
WHO currently classifies the outbreak risk as high at both national and regional levels, although the organisation maintains that the global risk remains low for now.
Tedros said WHO made the rare decision to declare the emergency before convening its Emergency Committee due to the urgent need for swift international intervention.
“This is the first time a director-general has declared a PHEIC before convening an emergency committee,” he explained.
“I took this step in accordance with Article 12 of the International Health Regulations after consulting the ministers of health of the DRC and Uganda.”
The WHO Director-General also praised Uganda for postponing its annual Martyrs’ Day celebrations, which usually attract millions of pilgrims, in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.
“I also thank the Government of Uganda for postponing the annual Martyrs’ Day celebrations, which can attract up to two million people, because of the risk posed by the epidemic,” he said.
WHO stated that emergency response personnel, medical supplies, equipment and funding have already been dispatched to affected communities.
“To support our response, I have approved an additional US$3.4 million from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies, bringing the total to US$3.9 million,” Tedros said.
Chair of the WHO Emergency Committee, Lucille Blumberg, said members of the committee agreed that the outbreak now qualifies as a global public health emergency because of the increasing risk of cross-border spread and the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in affected regions.
