WHO Director-General Dr Tedros updates on Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:00]Early on Sunday, I declared a public health emergency of international concern over an epidemic of Ebola disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. This is the first time a director-general has declared a fake before convening an emergency committee. I did not do this lightly. I did it in accordance with Article 12 of the International Health Regulations [music] after consulting the ministers of both countries and because I'm deeply concerned about [music] the scale and the speed of the epidemic. We will convene the emergency committee today to advise us on temporary [music] recommendations. So far, 30 cases have been confirmed in the DRC from the northern province of Ituri.

[00:00:51]>> [music] >> Uganda has also informed WHO of two confirmed cases in the capital of Kampala, including one death among two individuals who traveled from DRC.

[00:01:03][music] And there is one US citizen confirmed positive and transferred to Germany as reported by the US. And we're working with the DRC, Uganda, and also the United States. First, beyond the confirmed cases, there are more than 500 suspected cases, 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.

[00:01:50]Third, deaths have been reported among health workers, indicating health care associated transmission. And fourth, there is significant population movement [music] in the area. The province of Ituri is highly insecure, as you may know. Conflict has intensified since late 2025, >> [music] >> and the fighting has escalated significantly over the past 2 months, [music] resulting in civilian deaths. Over 100,000 people have been newly >> [music] >> displaced. And in Ebola outbreaks, you know what displacement means. The area is also a mining zone with high levels of population [music] movement that increase the risk of further spread. And fifth, this epidemic is caused by Bundibugyo virus, [music] a species of Ebola virus, for which there are no vaccines or therapeutics.

[00:02:49]In the absence of a vaccine, there are many other measures countries, of course, can take to stop the spread of this [music] virus and save lives, even without medical countermeasures, including risk communication and community engagement. The outbreaks of Ebola and Hantavirus in the past 2 weeks show why international threats need an international response. They show why the world needs the International Health Regulations and why it needs WHO.