WHO declares global health emergency over Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda
Key takeaways
- By: FRANCE 24 A health official uses a thermometer to screen people in front of Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala, Uganda on May 16, 2026.
- In a post on X, the World Health Organization said the outbreak does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency like the Covid-19 pandemic, and advised against the closure of international borders.
- It said the patient had visited Ituri and that other suspected cases have also been reported in North Kivu province, which is one of Congo’s most populous and borders Ituri.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The World Health Organization on Sunday declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a "public health emergency of international concern", posing risks to neighbouring countries after recording 88 deaths and more than 300 suspected cases in the region.
By: FRANCE 24 A health official uses a thermometer to screen people in front of Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala, Uganda on May 16, 2026. © Hajarah Nalwadda, AP Photo WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the Ebola disease outbreak in Congo and neighboring Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths.
In a post on X, the World Health Organization said the outbreak does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency like the Covid-19 pandemic, and advised against the closure of international borders.