The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern, following the rapid spread of the virus across borders and the rise in suspected cases in the Congolese province of Ituri.
The outbreak is linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. The first clusters are believed to have emerged in mining areas in eastern DRC characterised by high population mobility, a factor that has facilitated the risk of regional transmission. Meanwhile, the Ugandan authorities have confirmed at least two imported cases in Kampala, both linked to travellers from eastern Congo.
The health response is focusing on strengthening epidemiological surveillance and isolating suspected cases, through WHO collaboration with the authorities of both countries to trace the chain of transmission. In the absence of proven treatments for the strain, the organisation’s guidance aims to strengthen the implementation of infection prevention and control practices in affected communities, including the safe management of funeral practices and community engagement through risk communication and health awareness-raising.
Despite these measures, however, the humanitarian and security context in Ituri poses a significant obstacle: the area is characterised by displacement, insecurity and limited health infrastructures, conditions that make it difficult to identify infections promptly and monitor contacts at risk. The high level of conflict between rebel groups in the provinces of the DRC, including Ituri, makes it even more difficult to develop an effective health response to the spread of the virus, as has already been experienced in previous Ebola epidemics that have struck the country.
