A new Ebola outbreak is ongoing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and has also affected neighboring Uganda, according to health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO says a first patient has been cured in the DRC. The outbreak is linked to multiple cases reported across the DRC, including provinces in the country’s northeast, and has spread across borders with confirmed infections in Uganda, where at least one death is reported among those confirmed cases.
Health agencies cited by the outlets describe a rapidly evolving situation with a high burden of suspected infections in the DRC’s Ituri province. Figures mentioned include hundreds of suspected cases and substantial numbers of deaths among suspected patients, though WHO reporting indicates that it is revising downward some suspected-case counts while confirming an increase in confirmed cases.
Several sources also warn that conditions on the ground—such as strained health facilities and insecurity linked to armed conflict—make the response difficult. In response, WHO and the African health agency have announced a funding plan of 518 million dollars for operations from June to November, and humanitarian logistics are being supported, including the reopening of the Bunia airport. The WHO reiterates that the outbreak’s scale in Central Africa poses an elevated risk of further spread.
