The Ebola outbreak situation in eastern Congo

VTV.vn - The WHO announced that five Ebola patients have recovered as a new treatment center opens in eastern Congo.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visits health workers at the Protestant Health Center in Bunia, Congo, on May 31, 2026. (Photo: AP)

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on May 31 that five patients had recovered after contracting a rare form of Ebola in Bunia, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that is the epicenter of the outbreak.

Speaking at the opening of a new Ebola treatment center in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, Tedros said four people would be discharged that day, while one had been discharged two days earlier. He stressed that while vaccines and treatments are still under research, this does not mean that people infected with Ebola cannot recover.

The WHO says a patient has recovered after being infected with the Bundibugyo virus, a strain of Ebola for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. This is the first recorded recovery among the confirmed Bundibugyo cases in the current outbreak.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visits the Protestant Health Center in Bunia, Congo, on May 31, 2026. (Photo: AP)

According to the latest official figures, the WHO has recorded 906 suspected cases and 223 deaths suspected to be due to Ebola. In Uganda, a neighboring country to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ministry of Health has confirmed 9 cases and 1 death.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warns that the virus is still spreading faster than the response, despite better-organized health facilities and the arrival of new aid. MSF is calling for expanded testing, faster deployment of aid workers, and a sustained supply of medical supplies.

The response was also hampered by some residents' resentment of the strict medical procedures for handling the bodies of victims, which conflicted with local burial customs. At least three attacks targeting medical centers occurred.

A treatment area at the Protestant Health Center in Bunia, Congo. (Photo: AP)

Dr. Tedros emphasized the role of the community in controlling the outbreak and urged those with symptoms to seek medical attention early for assistance. He stated that Ebola can be contained if everyone participates in the response.

The security situation in the region has also hampered efforts to combat the epidemic. Attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group linked to the Islamic State (IS), and other ethnic armed groups have further complicated the situation. The Congolese army and civil society organizations reported that ADF fighters killed seven people in Beni, North Kivu province, an area also affected by the Ebola outbreak.

Source: https://vtv.vn/tinh-hinh-dich-ebola-tai-mien-dong-congo-100260531212739646.htm