The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that a renewed Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa poses a serious global health risk, officially declaring the situation a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.”
The declaration comes as infections continue to spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda, raising fears of wider regional transmission.
According to the WHO, cases are increasing rapidly in Congo’s Ituri Province, where the number of suspected deaths has also risen at an alarming rate. The virus has already crossed the border into Uganda, where two individuals arriving from Congo have tested positive for Ebola.
Health officials say the current outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which no fully effective vaccine is currently available. Experts warn that the nature of the strain and its fatality risks are making the situation particularly challenging.
Congo’s Ministry of Health stated that the outbreak was initially linked to a nurse who died in April after showing symptoms of the disease. Since then, the virus has spread rapidly through mining zones and densely populated communities where population movement remains high.
The WHO has called for intensified monitoring of individuals who have come into contact with infected patients, along with stronger quarantine and surveillance measures. However, the organization emphasized that coordinated health responses and public awareness campaigns are more effective than broad international border closures.
Jean Kaseya, Director-General of Africa CDC, noted that ongoing security challenges in conflict-affected areas are hampering disease detection and treatment efforts, making containment increasingly difficult.
Public health experts have warned that without rapid and coordinated international assistance, the outbreak could escalate into a far more severe crisis.
Source: International Health Agencies and Media Reports.