Ebola Outbreak Declared Emergency in DRC and Uganda

The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled the recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda as a “public health emergency of international concern.”

On Sunday, the WHO noted that this outbreak, linked to the Bundibugyo virus, doesn’t fit the criteria for a pandemic situation.

As of Saturday, there have been 80 suspected deaths, along with eight confirmed cases, and 246 suspected cases reported in DRC’s Ituri province. This situation spans at least three health zones, including Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu.

This alarming outbreak prompted the DRC health ministry to announce the 80 fatalities last Friday.

In Kampala, Uganda’s capital, two lab-confirmed cases, one fatal, were reported, stemming from individuals who had traveled from the DRC. A confirmed case was also identified in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC, involving a person coming from Ituri.

The Africa CDC has raised concerns about “active community transmission,” as health officials ramp up screening and contact tracing efforts to curb the disease’s spread.

Local journalists in Bunia, the capital of Ituri, spoke to residents who described their fears and the frequent need for burials. One resident, Jean Marc Asimwe, expressed, “Every day, people are dying … and this has been going on for about a week. We bury two, three, or even more people in a single day. At this point, we don’t really know what kind of disease it is.”

Ebola spreads easily through bodily fluids, including vomit, blood, and semen, and while rare, it can be severe and often fatal.

Initially, health officials reported the outbreak last Friday, citing 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases.

During an online briefing on Saturday, Africa CDC director-general Dr. Jean Kaseya shared that the first cases arose in Mongwalu, a busy mining area. “Cases then moved to Rwampara and Bunia as patients sought medical care, facilitating the spread across three health zones,” he explained.

Dr. Kaseya added that a large number of active cases remain in the local community, especially in Mongwalu, making containment and contact tracing particularly difficult.

Ongoing insecurity in Ituri, where relentless attacks by Islamic State-backed militants occur, further hampers surveillance and response operations.

While Congo is familiar with handling Ebola outbreaks, logistical hurdles in providing resources and expertise to affected areas persist. Being Africa’s second-largest country by land area, many provinces are remote from one another and often engaged in conflict. For instance, Ituri is roughly 1,000 kilometers (about 620 miles) from Kinshasa and is plagued by violence.