The Democratic Republic of Congo faces a new wave of Ebola outbreaks in Ituri.

According to a Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondent reporting from Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing a new wave of Ebola outbreaks, as the World Health Organization (WHO) raises its risk alert level to the highest, raising concerns about the potential spread of the disease to many countries in Central and East Africa.

A guard at the entrance to Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak, on May 24, 2026. (Photo: THX/VNA)

The epicenter of this outbreak is Ituri province, an area already heavily impacted by ongoing armed conflict, security instability, and a persistent humanitarian crisis. The complex conditions there are believed to be placing further pressure on the capacity of local authorities and international health organizations to respond to the epidemic.

In Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, residents have begun changing their habits to reduce the risk of infection. Taxi and bus drivers are urging passengers to limit close contact and avoid crowding on public transport – one of the environments where the Ebola virus can easily spread.

Many people have expressed concern about the speed of the disease's spread, especially given that Ebola is still considered one of the viruses with a high mortality rate and a severe impact on social life in countries where outbreaks have occurred.

According to the WHO, the Democratic Republic of Congo currently has 82 confirmed cases of Ebola and 7 deaths, along with approximately 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths under close monitoring. Meanwhile, neighboring Uganda has confirmed 5 cases, indicating an increasing risk of cross-border spread.

The African Union (AU) has warned that at least 10 countries in the region – including Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan – could face the risk of being affected if the outbreak is not brought under control in a timely manner.

International health experts believe that, given the limitations of the healthcare system and the ongoing conflict in the region, the risk of disease outbreaks spreading beyond national borders is very real, posing a major challenge to health security in Central and East Africa.

* In a related development, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the WHO have issued an urgent funding appeal for over $314 million to support response efforts to the escalating Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa.

According to the plan, the majority of the aforementioned funding will be allocated to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda to support treatment, epidemiological surveillance, containment, and prevention of the spread of the disease.

Priority measures include establishing a national health crisis management system, strengthening coordinated border control between countries in the region, accelerating research on a vaccine specifically for the Ebola Bundibugyo strain, deploying additional rapid response teams, and stockpiling emergency medical supplies in anticipation of a wider outbreak.

The WHO has raised the Ebola alert level to “very high,” while many neighboring countries are stepping up preventative measures, including tightening health controls and restricting travel from the Democratic Republic of Congo, to prevent the outbreak from spreading throughout the region.

VNA

Source: https://nhandan.vn/chdc-congo-doi-mat-voi-lan-song-bung-phat-dich-ebola-moi-tai-ituri-post964435.html