WHO raises alert level for Ebola outbreak.

The new Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise its risk alert to the highest level, highlighting the risk of the disease spreading 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)

In an announcement on May 24, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that in the Democratic Republic of Congo, health officials had recorded more than 900 suspected cases of Ebola, of which 101 were confirmed positive.

The WHO stated that the Ebola outbreak is spreading rapidly, putting many countries on "red alert," requiring urgent international intervention to prevent a large-scale health crisis. According to the WHO, the Ebola virus is no longer confined to old outbreak sites but has shown signs of crossing borders and spreading to neighboring areas. This is due to the complex movement of people and inherent limitations in regional health infrastructure.

In a social media post, Mr. Ghebreyesus stated that the epicenter of the outbreak is Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of Congo – an area heavily affected by ongoing conflict, instability, and humanitarian crises. Currently, nearly 5 million people live there, with approximately 25% of the population requiring humanitarian assistance and 20% internally displaced. The violence forcing residents, healthcare workers, and humanitarian aid personnel to leave their homes is severely hindering efforts to control the epidemic.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ministry of Communications confirmed that, as of May 24, the country had recorded 904 suspected cases and 119 deaths suspected to be due to Ebola, mainly in Ituri. The outbreak has also appeared in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Neighboring Uganda has also confirmed five cases, indicating an increased risk of cross-border spread.

The WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are appealing for more than $314 million in emergency aid to support the response to the Ebola outbreak. The majority of the funding is being allocated to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda for treatment, epidemiological surveillance, containment, and prevention of the spread of the disease.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/who-nang-canh-bao-ve-dich-ebola-post964659.html