WHO declares Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, Uganda a global health emergency
Key takeaways
- DR Congo accounts for all except two of the more than 300 suspected cases, both of which were reported in neighbouring Uganda.
- xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo.
- In a social media post on Sunday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency but that neighbouring countries are at high risk of further spread.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
DR Congo accounts for all except two of the more than 300 suspected cases, both of which were reported in neighbouring Uganda.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo. 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]By AP and Reuters Published On 17 May 202617 May 2026The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern” after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths were reported.
In a social media post on Sunday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency but that neighbouring countries are at high risk of further spread.