The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The announcement was made on Saturday after consultations with health authorities in both nations, driven by rapid spread of the virus and confirmed cross-border transmission.
As of Saturday, DRC recorded eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases, and 80 suspected deaths, primarily in Ituri province.
Suspected infections have spread to North Kivu, with unusual clusters of community deaths consistent with Bundibugyo virus disease.
Uganda reported two confirmed cases, including one death, in Kampala between May 15 and 16 among travellers from DRC. Another confirmed case emerged in Kinshasa from a returnee from Ituri province.
WHO expressed serious concern over at least four healthcare workers who died from suspected viral haemorrhagic fever, pointing to risks of hospital transmission and inadequate infection prevention.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will convene an emergency committee to issue temporary recommendations and coordinate global response.
Although the situation does not yet meet pandemic emergency criteria, WHO warned that the actual number of infections and geographical spread could be significantly larger.
Insecurity, population movements, urban transmission risks, and weak healthcare systems threaten to accelerate the outbreak.
Unlike the Zaire Ebola strain, no approved vaccines or therapeutics currently exist for the Bundibugyo virus.
The PHEIC represents WHO’s highest alert level for events that pose significant public health risks across borders and demand coordinated international action.
Neighbouring countries face elevated risks due to trade, travel, and cross-border population movements.
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