GENEVA (AP), The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, citing rising infections, cross border spread, and the absence of an approved vaccine for the strain involved.
WHO officials said more than 300 suspected cases and at least 88 deaths have been reported, with clusters in eastern Congo’s Ituri province and confirmed infections in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, first identified in 2007, is responsible for the outbreak. Unlike the Zaire strain, which has a licensed vaccine, Bundibugyo has no approved treatment or preventive shot.
“This outbreak is extraordinary and requires urgent international support,” WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva. He stressed that while the situation is serious, it does not yet meet the threshold for a pandemic emergency.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood, vomit, or semen. Symptoms include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and unexplained bleeding. The fatality rate for Bundibugyo Ebola can reach 50 percent.
Uganda’s health ministry confirmed cases in Kampala and said hospitals are tightening infection controls. Congo’s health officials warned of weak facilities in rural areas, raising fears of further transmission.
International agencies have begun mobilizing. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention activated its emergency operations center, while Doctors Without Borders said it is preparing a large‑scale response. Neighboring countries including Rwanda, Kenya, and South Sudan have stepped up airport and border screening.
The declaration is significant because it triggers stronger global coordination under international health regulations. It also unlocks funding and logistical support for affected countries. Past Ebola emergencies, including the 2014 West Africa outbreak, showed how quickly the virus can overwhelm health systems and disrupt economies.
Civil society groups in Africa welcomed the WHO’s move, saying it could help prevent misinformation and panic. But some experts cautioned that the absence of a vaccine for Bundibugyo Ebola makes this outbreak harder to contain than recent ones.
WHO urged countries not to close borders but to intensify surveillance and prepare for possible imported cases. “The world must act quickly to stop this outbreak before it spreads further,” Tedros said.
