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The World Health Organisation, WHO, on Monday raised fresh alarm over the rapidly spreading Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, and neighbouring Uganda, warning that the epidemic is outpacing response efforts and could worsen in the coming weeks.

Speaking at a virtual ministerial briefing convened by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus described the outbreak as extremely serious and difficult, revealing that more than 900 suspected cases and 220 suspected deaths have already been recorded in DRC.

“So far, 101 cases have been confirmed in DRC, with 10 confirmed deaths. But we know the epidemic in DRC is much larger. In the early hours of Sunday, May 17, I declared the Ebola outbreak in DRC a Public Health Emergency of International Concern after consulting the Ministers of Health of both DRC and Uganda, and following Africa CDC’s notification,” Tedros said.

He disclosed that WHO had upgraded the national risk assessment in DRC from “high” to “very high,” while maintaining regional risk at “high.”

Countries bordering DRC, he warned, are particularly vulnerable and must take immediate preventive action.

“In Uganda, there are five confirmed cases and one death,” he said, commending President Yoweri Museveni for cancelling this year’s Martyrs’ Day celebrations, an annual religious event that attracts nearly two million people.

“I appreciate the leadership of President Museveni in cancelling the Martyrs’ Day commemoration to prevent further spread of the virus,” he added.

Tedros noted that insecurity and public distrust in eastern DRC are worsening the crisis.

“The delay in detecting the outbreak means that we are now playing catch-up with a very fast-moving epidemic. We are urgently scaling up operations, but at the moment, the epidemic is outpacing us.”

According to him, intensified fighting in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu has displaced more than 100,000 people in recent months, complicating surveillance and response operations.

“There is also significant distrust of outside authorities among the local population. In the past week, there have been two security incidents at health facilities,” he stated.

“Building trust in affected communities is critical to a successful response and is one of our highest priorities.”

The WHO chief further disclosed that there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics specifically for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has only caused two previous outbreaks — in Uganda in 2007 and DRC in 2012.

“Last week, WHO convened leaders of several partner organisations to review the pipeline of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics,” he said.

“WHO has recommended prioritising two monoclonal antibodies to advance in clinical trials. We are also recommending evaluation of the antiviral obeldesivir in a clinical trial as post-exposure prophylaxis for high-risk contacts.”

He added that the clinical trial is being jointly developed with Africa CDC and the Collaborative Open Research Consortium on Filoviruses.

Tedros said WHO had already released $3.9 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support response efforts and announced plans to travel to DRC alongside Chikwe Ihekweazu.

He stressed that unity among African nations and international partners would determine how quickly the outbreak could be contained.

“We are facing an extremely serious and difficult outbreak. It will get worse before it gets better. But we know this virus, and we know how to stop it. We have stopped every previous Ebola outbreak, and we will stop this one too.

“The question is just how quickly we can do it, and how many more lives will be lost before we do,” he said.

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has approved an additional $3.4 million to support emergency response efforts following the worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, where suspected deaths have risen to 139.

WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced on Wednesday during a media briefing in Geneva that the agency had declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) amid growing fears of wider regional transmission.

Tedros said the declaration was made on Sunday under Article 12 of the International Health Regulations after consultations with health authorities in the DRC and Uganda, citing the need for urgent international action.

According to WHO, 51 Ebola cases have so far been confirmed in the DRC, particularly in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, including the cities of Bunia and Goma, while Uganda has recorded two confirmed cases in Kampala, including one death linked to travellers from the DRC.

The agency also confirmed that an American national who contracted the virus in the DRC had been transferred to Germany for treatment.

Tedros, however, warned that the outbreak was far more severe than confirmed figures indicate, with nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths already reported.

He said the outbreak had spread to several urban centres, while infections among health workers pointed to transmission within healthcare facilities.

The WHO chief identified insecurity, mass displacement and intense population movement in mining communities within eastern DRC as major factors heightening the risk of regional spread.

He noted that over 100,000 people had been displaced in Ituri Province following escalating violence since late 2025.

Tedros also expressed concern that the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved vaccines or therapeutics currently exist.

“In light of all these risks, I decided it was urgent to act immediately to prevent more deaths and mobilise an effective international response,” he said.

He commended the governments of the DRC and Uganda for their cooperation, particularly Uganda’s decision to postpone the annual Martyrs’ Day celebrations, which typically attract millions of participants.

WHO said the additional $3.4 million approved from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies brings the organisation’s total emergency support funding for the outbreak to $3.9 million.

The agency added that response teams, medical supplies and emergency support personnel had already been deployed to affected areas as efforts intensify to contain the virus.

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The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

The global health body in a statement said the decision was based on the growing risk of international spread of the disease and the absence of approved vaccines or treatments specifically targeting the Bundibugyo virus strain.

WHO Director-General said the outbreak met the criteria for a global health emergency under the International Health Regulations, although it does not yet qualify as a pandemic emergency.

As of May 16, health authorities had recorded eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri Province of DR Congo, affecting Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu health zones. Uganda also confirmed two cases in Kampala, including one death, involving travellers from DR Congo.

WHO said unusual clusters of deaths linked to symptoms consistent with Bundibugyo virus disease had also been reported across parts of Ituri and North Kivu provinces, while at least four healthcare workers had died from suspected viral haemorrhagic fever, raising fears of hospital-based transmission.

The agency warned that the true scale of the outbreak remained unclear due to limited epidemiological data, insecurity, population displacement and weak health systems in affected communities.

According to WHO, the high positivity rate from initial laboratory samples, increasing reports of suspected cases and deaths, and the detection of cases in Kampala indicate the outbreak could be significantly larger than currently reported.

WHO noted that unlike the Ebola Zaire strain, there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics specifically targeting the Bundibugyo virus strain.

The organisation said neighbouring countries sharing borders with DR Congo face a high risk of further spread because of population movement, trade activities and ongoing humanitarian challenges in the region.

WHO announced plans to convene an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to advise on temporary recommendations for responding countries.

The global health agency urged DR Congo and Uganda to activate emergency response mechanisms, strengthen surveillance and laboratory testing, improve infection prevention measures in hospitals and intensify contact tracing and community engagement.

WHO also advised affected countries to implement screening at airports, seaports and land borders, isolate confirmed and suspected cases, and consider postponing mass gatherings until transmission is interrupted.

The organisation, however, warned countries against closing borders or imposing travel and trade restrictions, saying such measures lack scientific basis and could worsen the spread of the disease through unmonitored routes.

WHO further urged neighbouring countries to strengthen preparedness, establish rapid response teams and improve monitoring for unexplained deaths and suspected cases.