HQ Team
May 19, 2026: The death toll in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda climbed to 130 as the WHO stated the situation as “deeply disturbing.”
The global health agency, which declared the outbreak a public health emergency, stated that as of 19 May, more than 500 suspected cases, including 130 suspected deaths, have been reported by the DRC’s Ministry of Health. So far, 30 cases have been confirmed in the DRC.
It is for the first time that a Director-General of the WHO has declared a public health emergency before convening an Emergency Committee. “I did not do this lightly,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “I did it in accordance with Article 12 of the International Health Regulations, after consulting the Ministers of Health of both countries, and because I am deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic.”
Dr Anne Ancia, WHO Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in an emailed statement, said that “the situation is deeply concerning. This species of Ebola is one for which there is no licensed vaccine or treatment, though supportive care is lifesaving.”
“It is occurring in a highly complex epidemiological, operational and humanitarian context—marked by insecurity, population displacement, and both densely populated and remote areas. There is significant uncertainty about the number of infections and how far the virus has spread.”
Spreading fast
The government of the DRC declared an outbreak on May 15, following confirmation of eight cases in Ituri province. It now affects 10 health zones in the province, and has reached North Kivu, with confirmed cases in Butembo and Goma. Uganda has confirmed two imported cases.
On May 17, the global health agency declared a public health emergency of international concern over the Ebola outbreak. The WHO stated that the outbreak does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency, as defined in the International Health Regulations, according to a statement.
As of May 16, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths have been reported in Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo across at least three health zones, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu
In addition, two laboratory-confirmed cases (including one death) with no apparent link to each other have been reported in Kampala, Uganda, within 24 hours of each other, on 15 and 16 May 2026, among two individuals travelling from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On May 16, an individual returning from Ituri to Kinshasa tested negative for Bundibugyo virus on confirmatory testing by INRB (National Institute of Biomedical Research, Congo), and is therefore not considered a confirmed case.
Nosebleeds, vomiting blood
The US Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that on May 17, an American who was exposed as part of their work caring for patients in DRC tested positive for Ebola Bundibugyo disease.
The person developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positive late on Sunday, according to a statement. The CDC is “working hand-in-hand with the US Department of State to move the patient to Germany for treatment and care. In addition to being a shorter flight time, Germany has prior experience caring for Ebola patients. High-risk contacts associated with this exposure are also being moved to Germany.”
Patients have experienced classic Ebola disease symptoms like fever, headache, vomiting, severe weakness, abdominal pain, nosebleeds, and vomiting blood. In DRC, most cases have occurred in people between 20 and 39 years old, and two-thirds have been in female patients, according to the CDC statement. This is the 17th outbreak of Ebola in DRC since 1976. The most recent outbreak ended in December 2025.
A decade after Ebola exposed dangerous gaps in outbreak preparedness – and six years after COVID-19 turned those gaps into a global catastrophe – the evidence is clear: the world is not safer from pandemics, according to a report by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, an independent monitoring and accountability body of the WHO and the World Bank, to ensure preparedness for global health crises.
The Board warned that a decade of investment has not kept pace with rising pandemic risk. New initiatives have improved aspects of preparedness, but overall these efforts have been offset by increasing geopolitical fragmentation, ecological disruption, and global travel, especially as development assistance falls to levels not seen since 2009.
Cases to soar
“If trust and cooperation continue to fracture, every country will be more exposed when the next pandemic strikes. Preparedness is not only a technical challenge — it is a test of political leadership,” said the Board’s Co-Chair Joy Phumaphi.
The WHO has deployed experts to the field alongside national responders, and sent 12 tons of supplies, including personal protection equipment for frontline health workers, from Kinshasa and Nairobi.
The agency is working with partners to set up treatment centres and expand care in affected areas, and is on the lookout for candidate vaccines or treatments that are available and if any could be used in this outbreak. Ervebo, a vaccine against the Zaire Ebola virus, is under consideration, WHO representative Ancia said, but “it would take two months for it to be available”.
WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said several factors made the WHO concerned about the potential for further spread and further deaths.
“First, beyond the confirmed cases, there are more than 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths. These numbers will change as field operations are scaling up, including strengthening surveillance, contact tracing and laboratory testing. Second, cases have been reported in urban areas, including Kampala and the city of Goma in the DRC. Third, deaths have been reported among health workers, indicating healthcare-associated transmission.
“Fourth, there is significant population movement in the area.”
