The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Sunday declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), following a rapid rise in suspected infections and deaths linked to the rare Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD).
WHO warned that the outbreak, which currently has no approved vaccines or therapeutics, could be far more widespread than existing figures suggest, raising concerns about regional and international transmission risks.
According to the organisation, DR Congo accounts for all but two of the more than 300 suspected cases recorded so far, with the remaining cases reported in neighbouring Uganda.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said although the outbreak does not yet meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, countries bordering affected areas remain at high risk of further spread due to regional movement and cross-border interactions.
Over 300 Suspected Cases Reported as Death Toll Rises in DRC, Uganda
The declaration followed increasing reports of suspected infections and deaths across communities in Central and East Africa, with WHO confirming that at least 90 suspected deaths and over 246 suspected cases had been recorded across DR Congo and Uganda.
WHO said that as of May 16, 2026, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases, and 80 suspected deaths had been reported in Ituri Province of eastern DRC, particularly across Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu health zones.
The organisation also confirmed two laboratory-confirmed cases in Kampala, Uganda, including one death involving travellers who recently arrived from DRC. Another confirmed infection was recorded in Kinshasa involving a traveller returning from Ituri Province.
WHO warned that the outbreak may be significantly underreported, citing rising syndromic reporting, unexplained community deaths, and high positivity rates from initial laboratory samples collected in affected areas.
The agency also expressed concern over infections among healthcare workers, revealing that at least four deaths linked to suspected viral haemorrhagic fever had been reported among medical personnel in affected communities.
WHO Raises Concern Over Lack of Approved Vaccines or Treatments
WHO said the Ebola outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a rare strain of Ebola for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific antiviral treatments.
The organisation stated that the absence of licensed medical countermeasures increases the urgency for coordinated regional and international response efforts to contain the disease before wider transmission occurs.
In line with the International Health Regulations (2005), WHO said it had convened an emergency committee meeting to provide temporary recommendations for countries responding to the outbreak.
The organisation stated that the declaration followed “an assessment of the public health risk posed by the outbreak, the possibility of international spread and the potential implications for international movement and trade.”
WHO further noted that the confirmation of cases in both Kampala and Kinshasa, alongside increasing reports of suspected infections and clusters of deaths in Ituri Province, points toward a potentially much larger outbreak than what is currently being detected and officially reported.
Nigeria Activates Surveillance as NCDC Monitors Regional Risk
In response to the outbreak, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said it has activated surveillance measures across the country and intensified monitoring at all points of entry.
The agency, however, clarified that Nigeria currently has no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
In a statement signed by the Director-General of NCDC, Jude Idris, the agency said it was closely monitoring developments in DRC and Uganda in collaboration with local and international partners.
According to the NCDC, increased regional movement across African countries makes heightened preparedness necessary, prompting the activation of public health emergency response measures.
As part of its public health advisory, the agency urged Nigerians to rely only on updates from official health authorities, report unusual illnesses promptly to health facilities, practise regular hand hygiene, and avoid contact with bodily fluids of sick persons or dead animals from unknown sources.
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