The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, 2026 [1].
This designation is the highest level of alarm the agency can sound. It is intended to mobilize international funding and coordinate a rapid response to prevent a localized outbreak from becoming a widespread pandemic.
The epicentre of the current crisis is located in Ituri province, situated in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo [4]. Health officials have also identified additional confirmed cases within Uganda [4]. The WHO said the decision to declare an emergency followed the appearance of clusters of deaths and a rise in suspected infections.
According to official data, there are eight confirmed Ebola cases [1]. However, the number of suspected cases is higher, with 246 individuals currently under investigation [2]. The human toll is already severe, with approximately 80 suspected deaths reported [3].
These figures indicate a risk of a much larger outbreak if containment measures are not scaled immediately [4]. The agency said the rapid increase in suspected cases necessitates an urgent international response to stabilize the region.
Efforts to manage the virus in eastern Congo are often complicated by regional instability. The WHO is now calling for increased surveillance and the deployment of medical resources to the affected provinces to curb the transmission of the virus across borders.
“The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.”
The declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern allows the WHO to issue temporary recommendations that are legally non-binding but carry significant weight for global travel and trade. Because the outbreak spans two countries—the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda—the risk of cross-border transmission is high, requiring a synchronized regional strategy rather than isolated national responses.
