WHO says Ebola outbreak is ‘emergency of international concern' after 88 deaths

At least 80 deaths and more than 300 suspected cases in the DRC, while Uganda reports spread from travellers

Ambulances are parked outside a hospital in Bunia, Congo, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Constant Same Bagalwa)

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda is a “public health emergency of international concern”, the World Health Organization has said.

The WHO made its declaration on Sunday after 88 deaths and more than 300 suspected cases linked to the outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus, prompting Africa’s top health official to say he was “on panic mode”.