WHO Convenes Ebola Panel as DRC Death Toll Hits 131
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · May 19
WHO Convenes Ebola Panel as DRC Death Toll Hits 131
10 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · May 19
131 suspected deaths from 513 suspected Ebola cases in the DRC prompted the WHO to convene its Emergency Committee on Tuesday after declaring the outbreak a global health emergency.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency is alarmed by the epidemic’s scale and speed as infections spread from Ituri into Uganda and other Congolese provinces up to 200 km from the apparent ground zero.
The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or treatment, so experts are set to weigh vaccine options, including whether Merck’s Ervebo—used for the Zaire strain—could offer some protection.
WHO said 18 tons of supplies are being sent to the DRC, Bahrain suspended entry for foreign travelers from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan for 30 days, and Germany is preparing to treat an infected U.S. citizen.
Do travel bans on Ebola-hit nations help containment or worsen the crisis by isolating those in need?
With no vaccine for this rare Ebola strain, is a crisis in Congo's conflict zones inevitable?
Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak 2026: Over 130 Deaths, No Vaccine, and Global Emergency Response in DRC and Uganda
Overview
The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern, highlighting its severity and risk of spreading beyond borders. This outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, first identified in Uganda in 2008, and is especially worrying due to the rising number of cases and the lack of an approved vaccine for this strain. Concerns are growing about whether current containment efforts will be effective, as the situation continues to evolve and challenges remain in controlling the spread.