WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak in DRC and Uganda a Global Health Emergency

WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern

The World Health Organization has officially classified the Ebola outbreak sweeping through the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) — one of the highest-level alerts the agency can issue.

The announcement came on Sunday following a rapidly deteriorating situation that has resulted in at least 80 deaths and 246 suspected cases, predominantly concentrated in the DRC's eastern Ituri province.

A Rare and Untreatable Strain at the Center of the Crisis

Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks that have ravaged the DRC, this one is caused by the Bundibugyo virus — one of three known strains capable of triggering Ebola virus disease, and the least frequently encountered. What makes this strain particularly alarming is the complete absence of any approved vaccines, treatments, or dedicated diagnostic tests.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, including blood and vomit, and carries an extremely high fatality rate — especially in regions where healthcare infrastructure is severely limited and intensive supportive care is largely unavailable.

WHO Chief Acts Ahead of Formal Committee Review

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, took the unusual step of announcing the PHEIC declaration before convening a formal emergency committee — a move that experts say underscores the exceptional urgency of the situation.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister and pandemic preparedness advocate Helen Clark praised the decision, stating: "His choice to act ahead of the formal committee process reflects the gravity of this emergency and the need for immediate global mobilization."

She further called on the international community to respond with "speed and solidarity," urging the deployment of diagnostic capacity, resources, and cross-border coordination to the most affected areas.

Africa CDC Director Sounds the Alarm

Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), made no effort to conceal his alarm during a media interview.

"Currently, I'm in panic mode because people are dying. I don't have medicines. I don't have a vaccine to support these countries," he told Sky News.

Kaseya framed the crisis as a matter of global health equity, warning that wealthier nations cannot afford to ignore outbreaks on the African continent. "Western countries don't understand that when Africa is affected, they are also at risk — because people are flying every day," he stressed.

Despite being scheduled to attend the annual World Health Assembly in Geneva, Kaseya announced he would return to Africa to directly oversee the emergency response. He also confirmed that officials are in early-stage discussions with pharmaceutical companies about potentially fast-tracking experimental tests, vaccines, and treatments for use or trial during the outbreak.

Outbreak Spreads Beyond DRC Borders

The majority of confirmed and suspected cases remain in Ituri province, a region in eastern DRC that shares borders with both Uganda and South Sudan and lies roughly five days' travel from the capital, Kinshasa.

However, the virus has already crossed international lines. Two cases — including one fatality — have been reported in Uganda's capital, Kampala, both apparently linked to individuals who had recently traveled from the DRC. A previously suspected case in Kinshasa was later ruled out after confirmatory testing returned a negative result.

In a further development on Sunday, a new Ebola case was laboratory-confirmed in Goma — a conflict-affected city in a separate part of the DRC currently under the control of the Rwanda-backed M23 militia. The infected individual was identified as the wife of a man who died of Ebola in Bunia; she had traveled to Goma while already carrying the infection.

Fear Grips Communities in Ituri

On the ground in Bunia, Ituri's provincial capital, residents described a climate of fear and rising daily death tolls. Local resident Jean Marc Asimwe told journalists: "Every day, people are dying — and this has been going on for about a week. In a single day, we bury two, three, or even more people. At this point, we don't really know what kind of disease it is."

According to DRC officials, the first known case was identified in a nurse on April 24 — though Africa CDC noted it remains unclear exactly when the outbreak began.

The Scope May Be Far Greater Than Reported

The WHO cautioned that current figures likely represent only a fraction of the true scale of the crisis. "There are significant uncertainties as to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread," the organization stated, adding that all indicators point toward "a potentially much larger outbreak than what is currently being detected and reported, with significant local and regional risk of spread."

While the WHO clarified that the outbreak does not yet meet the threshold for a pandemic emergency declaration, the PHEIC designation is designed to galvanize international resources and support for the affected nations.

A continental public health emergency declaration from Africa CDC is also expected within the coming days.