Ebola Bundibugyo Outbreak Declared Global Health Emergency, Nearly 3 Million at Risk
The WHO declared the 2026 Ebola Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a global health emergency, with nearly 3 million children and adolescents facing rising risks as essential health services break down.
WHO Declares Public Health Emergency
On 17 May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) determined that the Ebola virus disease outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). This means that the outbreak poses a serious, unusual, cross-border risk that requires coordinated international action.
Scale of the Crisis
As Ebola cases hit 1,000, almost 3 million children and adolescents face rising risks in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to UNICEF warnings. The outbreak centers in the Ituri province, where health infrastructure is fragile and access to care remains severely limited.
Unique Challenges of Bundibugyo Virus
The Bundibugyo strain poses added challenges due to a lack of vaccines or treatments. This distinguishes the current outbreak from previous Ebola emergencies where experimental vaccines were available. BVD causes a severe hemorrhagic fever. Bundibugyo virus is spread through direct contact with the body fluids of a person who is infected or has died from BVD.
Global Response and European Preparedness
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) assesses the infection risk for people living in the EU/EEA to be very low. This is due to transmission of the virus requiring direct contact with a symptomatic patient's body fluids and the low likelihood of importation and secondary transmission in Europe. However, coordinated international response efforts continue to strengthen.