African Health Officials On Ebola: ‘This Is Too Much’ (Live Updates)
Key takeaways
- WHO director general Tedros Ghebreyesus, who says he will personally travel to Congo on Tuesday, says the Ebola death toll has risen to 220 and warns “at the moment, the epidemic is outpacing us.”
- MONDAY, MAY 18, 2026 President Donald Trump says he is “concerned” about Ebola when asked about the outbreak at the White House, but the CDC says the ongoing risk to the American public is “low.”
- SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2026 Citing unnamed sources, Stat News reports several Americans had "high-risk exposures" to Ebola while working in the Congo and says one has developed symptoms consistent with the disease.
Topline The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday warned 11 African countries are now considered to be at risk amid an ongoing Ebola outbreak and World Health Organization officials called for international cooperation, cautioning “no single country can respond to this magnitude of outbreak alone.”
Workers line up to disinfect their protective equipment at General Referral Hospital of Mongbwalu during the Ebola outbreak on May 20, 2026.Getty Images Timeline MONDAY, MAY 25, 2026At a meeting of health leaders from across the continent, Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya warned, “This is too much. We cannot afford to have more Africans dying."
WHO director general Tedros Ghebreyesus, who says he will personally travel to Congo on Tuesday, says the Ebola death toll has risen to 220 and warns “at the moment, the epidemic is outpacing us.”