WHO declares DRC Ebola international emergency

The World Health Organization said on May 17 that an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the declaration followed reports of confirmed cases in eastern Congo’s Ituri Province and imported cases in Kampala, Uganda. The agency said the event did not meet the threshold for a pandemic emergency under the International Health Regulations. Tedros repeated the declaration in remarks to member states on May 19 at the World Health Assembly. ### When did WHO actually make the declaration? WHO published the formal determination on May 17, 2026, not May 19. In that statement, the agency said the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda met the criteria for a PHEIC under the International Health Regulations after the director-general consulted the affected states. Tedros told member states on May 19 that he had made the declaration “early on Sunday,” referring to May 17. (who.int) ### Which countries are covered by the emergency? The WHO determination names both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. As of May 16, WHO said eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths had been reported in Ituri Province in northeastern Congo, across at least the Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu health zones. WHO also said Uganda had reported two laboratory-confirmed cases in Kampala on May 15 and 16, including one death, involving travelers from Congo. (who.int) ### Why did WHO say this outbreak met the international-emergency threshold? WHO said the outbreak was extraordinary because it involved cross-border spread, uncertainty about the full scale of transmission, and the absence of licensed vaccines or therapeutics specifically approved for Bundibugyo virus disease. The agency said the event posed a risk to human health, a risk of international spread, and a risk of interference with international traffic under the emergency rules. (who.int) United Nations News, citing WHO, said the declaration was driven by rising cases, cross-border spread and uncertainty about the epidemic’s scale. ### Is this the same Ebola strain seen in earlier Congo outbreaks? WHO said this outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, one of the viruses that can cause Ebola disease. WHO Africa said on May 15 that Congo had confirmed a new outbreak in Ituri Province after laboratory analysis by the Institut national de recherche biomédicale in Kinshasa. A WHO Africa outbreak page says the ongoing event is Congo’s 16th Ebola outbreak since the disease was identified in 1976. (who.int) A separate WHO notice from December 2025 said the country’s previous outbreak in Kasai Province was also its 16th, suggesting the running count on public pages may not yet be fully harmonized. ### What is happening on the ground in eastern Congo? Ituri Province was identified by WHO as the center of the outbreak after the agency said it was alerted on May 5 to a high-mortality outbreak of unknown illness in Mongbwalu Health Zone, including deaths among health workers. WHO Africa said it was scaling up support to the Congolese government, including surveillance, laboratory capacity, treatment, infection prevention and logistics. (afro.who.int) Tedros said on May 15 that WHO would deploy resources and work with partners across the region to contain the spread and care for those affected. ### What happens next under the WHO emergency declaration? WHO’s May 17 determination includes temporary recommendations for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and other states, including activating emergency coordination systems, strengthening surveillance, improving case management and maintaining cross-border screening and preparedness. The 79th World Health Assembly opened on May 19 in Geneva, where Tedros told member states the Ebola emergency was one of the headline outbreaks WHO is now responding to. (who.int) WHO’s published determination and outbreak notices are the main documents member states and health agencies will use for the next operational steps. (who.int)