WHO raises Ebola alert in Congo to “very high”

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised its risk assessment for the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo from “high” to “very high,” amid a continued increase in suspected cases and deaths. In response to the escalating situation, authorities in Ituri province in northeastern Congo have implemented a series of emergency measures, including banning funeral ceremonies and restricting large gatherings.

Medical personnel transport an Ebola patient to a treatment center in Rwampara, Congo, on May 21, 2026. Photo: AP

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Congo had recorded 82 confirmed cases and 7 deaths. However, the WHO believes the actual scale of the outbreak could be much larger due to limited surveillance capacity.

The latest figures show that Congo currently has around 750 suspected cases and 177 deaths suspected to be related to Ebola. Health officials predict that these numbers could continue to rise as contact tracing and surveillance efforts are expanded.

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of Ebola for which there is currently no vaccine. According to the WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus had been silently spreading for weeks in Ituri province before being detected.

Facing the risk of the disease spreading, the authorities in Ituri province in northeastern Congo announced a ban on funeral rites and gatherings of more than 50 people to limit community transmission.

Congolese Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner acknowledged that the country is "racing against time" to control Ebola, as nearly a million people in Ituri province have been displaced due to ongoing armed conflict.

Furthermore, the response efforts of health officials and aid organizations also faced opposition from some segments of the population due to the spread of fake news and conflicts between health regulations and local burial customs. On May 21, an Ebola treatment center in Rwampara was set on fire after a group of young people were prevented from accessing the body of a friend suspected of having died from Ebola.

The United Nations announced it has disbursed $60 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to support Congo and other countries in the region in combating the epidemic. The United States has also pledged an additional $23 million to Congo and Uganda, and is funding the construction of up to 50 Ebola treatment facilities in affected areas.

Quynh Trang (According to AP)

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/who-raises-warning-erola-in-congo-to-rare-level-3408559.html