WHO Declares Global Health Emergency as New Ebola Strain Spreads Across Congo, Uganda

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an international public health emergency following the outbreak of a new Ebola strain spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the emergency alert on Saturday, describing the outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern” amid fears that the actual number of infections could be far higher than officially reported.

Health authorities in the DRC have so far recorded 246 suspected Ebola cases and 80 deaths across three health zones, with eight laboratory-confirmed infections.

The virus has also crossed into Uganda, where a 59-year-old man died after testing positive for Ebola on Thursday. Ugandan authorities subsequently cancelled the annual Martyrs’ Day pilgrimage, a major religious gathering that attracts thousands of participants every year.

Officials said the outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare variant for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.

The strain was first identified in 2007 and has previously caused outbreaks in Uganda between 2007 and 2008, and in the DRC in 2012. Experts estimate its fatality rate to be between 25 and 40 percent.

According to health experts, early symptoms of the disease include fever, muscle pain, headache, fatigue, and sore throat. As the illness progresses, patients may develop vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, and internal or external bleeding.

The virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected persons or deceased victims.

Emergency response chief at Médecins Sans Frontières, Trish Newport, warned that the rapid increase in infections and deaths within a short period is deeply concerning.

She noted that insecurity and limited healthcare access in the Ituri region of eastern Congo could further complicate efforts to contain the outbreak.

This marks the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak. The country’s deadliest outbreak occurred between 2018 and 2020, killing nearly 2,300 people.

WHO has advised both the DRC and Uganda to immediately establish emergency operations centres to strengthen surveillance and contain the spread of the virus.