WHO DECLARES EBOLA OUTBREAK IN DR CONGO AND UGANDA A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY OF INTERNATIONAL CONCERN

The World Health Organization declared on May 17 that an Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, the body's highest level of alert. The determination follows the identification of eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected cases in DRC's Ituri Province, along with two confirmed cases in Uganda's capital, Kampala, according to the WHO.

The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus disease, a rare Ebola strain for which no approved vaccine or therapeutic treatment exists. It is only the third documented outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain in history, the WHO said. Cases have been concentrated across at least three health zones in Ituri Province — Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu — with 80 suspected deaths reported as of May 16.

Two confirmed cases in Kampala, both individuals who had recently traveled from the DRC, were identified on May 15 and 16, raising concerns about wider regional spread. The WHO's emergency committee cited population mobility, ongoing insecurity in eastern DRC, and a large network of informal healthcare facilities as factors compounding the risk of further transmission, Al Jazeera reported.

The emergency designation is expected to trigger a coordinated international response including funding, personnel, and medical equipment. While the WHO said the outbreak does not currently meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, health officials urged vigilance across Central and East Africa given the cross-border nature of the confirmed cases and the absence of any approved treatment for the Bundibugyo strain.