EBOLA RESPONSE SPREADS FROM CONGO TO KENYA AS OUTBREAK STRAINS AID

The international response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo widened Thursday, with World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus traveling to Congo as Kenya approved a U.S. plan to open a quarantine facility for Americans exposed to the virus. Reuters reported that the outbreak has become the third-largest recorded Ebola epidemic and is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain, which currently has no licensed vaccine or specific approved treatment.

The outbreak is centered in Ituri province in northeastern Congo and has strained responders working in areas affected by armed conflict, displacement, distrust, and limited logistics. Reuters reported 1,077 suspected cases, 121 confirmed cases, and 17 officially recorded deaths, while experts warned the real toll could be higher because surveillance and testing are still catching up.

WHO has declared the Ebola disease outbreak in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern, but not a pandemic emergency. The agency said the outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus disease and that affected countries were consulted before the emergency determination.

Tedros said WHO is working with Congo’s national medical research organization to scale up testing and strengthen the country’s laboratory network. Reuters reported that the goal is to provide real-time data, identify confirmed cases faster, and support containment before the virus spreads further through hard-to-reach communities.

The response has also become a security issue. Reuters reported that Tedros has urged a ceasefire in eastern Congo so health workers can safely reach affected areas, warning that conflict and displacement are worsening the outbreak. Response teams have also faced denial about the disease, logistical barriers, and violence around medical facilities.

Kenya’s approval adds a new international layer. Reuters reported that Kenya has approved a U.S. plan to open a quarantine facility for Americans exposed to Ebola, located at a Kenyan air force base in Laikipia and staffed by the U.S. Public Health Service. U.S. officials said exposed or infected Americans had so far been sent to Germany and the Czech Republic for treatment or monitoring.

The Kenyan government had reportedly pushed for the facility to serve people of all nationalities, but Reuters said it remains unclear whether that will happen. Kenya’s health ministry confirmed discussions with the U.S. and international partners on Ebola response efforts, but had not explicitly addressed the quarantine centre in the Reuters report.

The plan is already drawing public-health and equity questions. Reuters video reporting showed some Nairobi residents questioning why a U.S.-backed quarantine facility in Kenya would primarily serve Americans rather than local or regional patients. The Guardian also reported criticism from public-health experts who warned that restricting return options for exposed Americans could discourage health workers from volunteering or push cases underground.

Several countries are tightening precautions as the outbreak spreads. Reuters video reporting said a growing Ebola outbreak in Africa is prompting wider global precautions, while Uganda has closed its border with Congo to curb spread. CDC said it is monitoring the outbreak in remote areas of Congo and Uganda, with no confirmed U.S. cases linked to the outbreak and overall risk to the American public and travelers remaining low.

The immediate challenge is that every part of containment has to work at once: testing, treatment, safe burials, contact tracing, trusted local communication, cross-border monitoring, and responder security. A Kenya quarantine facility may help manage exposed U.S. personnel, and expanded testing may improve surveillance in Congo, but neither solves the underlying response gap if conflict, mistrust, and logistics continue to outpace aid.

Fact-check date: 28 May 2026
Sources: Reuters, WHO, CDC, The Guardian

[IMG]https://vepbrgvfdbpwzesrqysv.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/1779982223020-uq4h4eqv3nt.png||Mission Offline Desk[/IMG]