WHO Declares Congo-Uganda Ebola Outbreak International Emergency After 80 Deaths

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

GENEVA/KINSHASA/KAMPALA (Worthy News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Sunday that an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda “constitutes a public health emergency of international concern” after at least 80 people died and hundreds more were infected or suspected of infection.

However, the WHO stressed the outbreak does not yet meet the criteria of a global pandemic emergency despite fears of wider regional spread involving the deadly Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. Medical specialists say Ebola causes severe fever, bleeding, vomiting, and organ failure and, depending on the strain, can kill between 25 and 90 percent of those infected, making it far deadlier than diseases such as COVID-19. The virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people or contaminated materials, according to experts.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked the governments of the DRC and Uganda for taking what he called “necessary and vigorous actions” to contain the outbreak and for warning the international community about the risks.

According to the WHO, eight laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases, 246 suspected infections, and 80 suspected deaths have been reported in the DRC’s Ituri Province across several health zones, including Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu.

Uganda meanwhile confirmed two laboratory-confirmed cases in the capital Kampala, including one death, involving travelers arriving from the DRC.

RAPIDLY SPREADING EBOLA

The DRC’s Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said authorities were first alerted to the outbreak through social media reports on May 5 before laboratory tests confirmed Ebola cases three days later.

“Today we are around 246 cases,” Kamba said. “And we have recorded, at community level but also at health center level, a total of 80 deaths.”

He added that the DRC had formally declared its “17th Ebola epidemic.”

Women could be heard weeping in footage from the Ebola-stricken area as grieving families mourned victims of the outbreak.

The WHO expressed alarm that at least four healthcare workers had died in circumstances suggesting Ebola transmission inside medical facilities, raising fears of major gaps in infection prevention measures.

HEALTHCARE SYSTEM STRAINED

Officials also warned the real scale of infections could be far higher than currently known due to insecurity, population movements, weak healthcare systems, and limited epidemiological data in eastern DRC.

Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks involving the Zaire strain, there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain, experts said.

The WHO said neighboring countries bordering the DRC face a high risk of further spread due to cross-border travel and trade.

Residents in Uganda voiced fears that the outbreak could trigger renewed travel restrictions or lockdowns similar to measures imposed during past health crises.

Naome Kayondo, a Kampala resident who frequently travels for work, said she worried the outbreak could disrupt livelihoods and daily life.

FEARS OF NEW LOCKDOWNS

“I would like the government to quickly spread awareness about Ebola and how it is spread,” she said, urging authorities to strengthen safety measures to prevent wider transmission.

The WHO said an emergency committee would meet soon to discuss additional international recommendations as governments intensify surveillance and containment efforts.

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