health

WHO declares international emergency due to Ebola outbreak in Africa after increase in cases in Congo and Uganda

Portafolio Journalist 05/17/2026 09:47 Updated: 05/17/2026 09:47

WHO declares international emergency due to Ebola outbreak in Africa after increase in cases in Congo and Uganda

TL;DR

  • The WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern for a rare Ebola variant outbreak in the DRC and Uganda.
  • The Bundibugyo variant is particularly concerning as there is no specific vaccine for it.
  • The outbreak is spreading in regions with difficult access and security issues, complicating response efforts.
  • As of May 16, there were eight confirmed and 246 suspected cases in the DRC, with at least 80 suspected deaths.
  • One case and one death were confirmed in Uganda, linked to a traveler from the DRC.
  • Security problems and intense population movement in the affected areas increase the risk of further spread.
  • Recent vaccines and treatments for Ebola are not effective against this specific variant.
  • The DRC has faced multiple Ebola outbreaks since the disease was identified in 1976.