Ebola outbreak in DRC triggers WHO emergency, rising cases and global response

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared a mid‑May outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in Ituri province. By late May the World Health Organization (WHO) reported roughly 330 confirmed cases and 48 deaths in the DRC, with additional cases and one death in neighbouring Uganda. WHO later reduced the number of suspected cases from over 900 to 116, confirming 344 cases and 60 deaths in the DRC. WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that only about 45 % of contacts were being isolated, saying “we are lagging behind”. The agency declared the situation a public‑health emergency of international concern and called for increased testing, contact tracing and accelerated vaccine development. International partners responded: the EU pledged funding for laboratory capacity, the United States committed $13 million for a quarantine facility in Kenya (which sparked protests and a court injunction), and Nigeria confirmed no cases while maintaining heightened border screening. Vaccine candidates, including an IAVI‑derived rVSV vector and a Moderna mRNA approach, entered accelerated development. Travel restrictions were imposed by the United States and Canada, and several countries opened Ebola screening centres at airports ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The outbreak remains the third‑largest Ebola epidemic on record, with ongoing efforts to contain spread and protect health workers.