The World Health Organization has released an additional $3.4 million to strengthen efforts against the growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, where suspected deaths have risen to 139.
Speaking during a media briefing in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the outbreak has now been classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) due to fears of wider regional spread.
According to WHO, 51 Ebola cases have been officially confirmed in the DRC, particularly in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, while Uganda has recorded two confirmed infections in Kampala, including one death.
The agency warned that the actual scale of the outbreak could be far worse, with nearly 600 suspected cases already identified across affected areas.
Tedros said the virus has spread into several urban centres, while infections among healthcare workers point to continued transmission within medical facilities.
He also raised concerns over worsening insecurity and population displacement in eastern DRC, warning that increased movement linked to mining activities could accelerate cross-border transmission.
The WHO chief disclosed that renewed violence in Ituri Province since late 2025 has displaced more than 100,000 people, complicating containment efforts.
According to him, the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments.
WHO said the latest funding, drawn from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies, brings the organisation’s total Ebola response allocation to $3.9 million.
Emergency teams, medical supplies and technical experts have already been deployed to affected regions to support surveillance, treatment and containment operations.
