WHO Warns Ebola Outbreak Outpacing Response Efforts

Red Cross workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) disinfect the house of an unidentified man who died of Ebola before retrieving his body in Mongbwalu, Djugu Territory of Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, 24 May 2026.

The World Health Organization has warned that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is outpacing response efforts, with suspected deaths now reaching 220.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the remarks during an online briefing with the African Union, saying delays in detecting new cases have left health teams “playing catch-up” and that the situation is likely to worsen before it improves.

He said he will travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of the outbreak, along with WHO’s head of health emergencies, Chikwe Ihekweazu, to assess and support response operations.

Neighbouring Uganda reported two additional confirmed cases on Monday, bringing its total to seven. Tedros warned that countries bordering Congo remain at high risk and should urgently strengthen preparedness measures.

The WHO has declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

According to the organisation, efforts to contain the virus are being hampered by insecurity in eastern Congo’s Ituri and North Kivu provinces, along with the absence of approved vaccines for this specific strain.

Health officials say these factors are making containment more difficult as the outbreak continues to spread across vulnerable regions.