Ebola outbreak in the DRC: West's aid cuts 'contributed to the weakening of the surveillance chain'
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been officially declared, with significant fatalities and suspected cases reported. The World Health Organization has classified the situation as a public health emergency of international concern due to the outbreak's spread beyond the DRC. Experts attribute the worsening of the situation to weakened surveillance systems, exacerbated by cuts in international aid.
- ▪The outbreak was officially declared on May 15, 2026, with 131 deaths and 513 suspected cases reported.
- ▪The World Health Organization has issued a public health emergency of international concern due to the outbreak's severity.
- ▪The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which currently has no vaccine, is causing particular alarm as it spreads beyond the DRC.
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A health worker checks a traveler's temperature with an infrared thermometer near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Bundibugyo, Uganda, on May 18, 2026. BADRU KATUMBA/AFP Officially declared on May 15, the new Ebola outbreak continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Congolese Ministry of Health stated on Tuesday, May 19, that 131 deaths and 513 suspected cases had been recorded in the country. This figure remains provisional. Given the scale of the outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Sunday a "public health emergency of international concern," its second-highest alert level.
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