The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.”
The organization stressed that the current outbreak does not yet meet the criteria for a global pandemic, but described the situation as “extraordinary” because of the risk of cross-border spread and the absence of an approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
According to Reuters, the WHO warned that countries neighboring Congo face a high risk of transmission.
Official figures show that eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has so far recorded at least 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, and 246 suspected infections.
The reported cases are concentrated in the health zones of Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu.
The WHO also confirmed cases of international transmission.
In Uganda, two confirmed infections — including one death — were identified in Kampala among people who had traveled from Congo.
Another confirmed case was detected in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, involving a person returning from Ituri province.
The World Health Organization urged countries to activate emergency response systems, increase border screening, and immediately isolate infected individuals.
At the same time, the WHO emphasized that countries should avoid closing borders or imposing severe travel and trade restrictions, warning that such measures could increase unofficial crossings and make disease control more difficult.
Ebola is among the world’s deadliest viral diseases and was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Health experts say the current outbreak highlights ongoing vulnerabilities in regional healthcare systems, particularly in areas affected by poverty, conflict, and limited medical infrastructure.
Analysts also warn that the absence of an approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain significantly increases concern over the potential for wider regional spread.
