The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have unveiled a $518 million emergency response strategy aimed at containing the escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and preventing its spread across the region.
The six-month intervention programme, which would run from June through November 2026, comes amid growing concerns over the rapid transmission of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus in eastern parts of the DRC and neighboring countries.
Health authorities said the outbreak, officially declared on May 15, had likely been circulating undetected for some time before it was confirmed by public health officials.
Latest figures released by the WHO indicated that the DRC has recorded 381 confirmed Ebola cases, including 64 deaths.
The outbreak has affected three provinces in the country’s northeast, with Ituri Province emerging as the epicentre.
According to Africa CDC, Ituri accounts for about 90 per cent of all confirmed infections and 76 per cent of reported fatalities linked to the current outbreak.
Beyond the DRC, the virus has also crossed into Uganda, where health officials have confirmed 16 cases and one death, raising concerns about wider regional transmission.
Speaking during a press briefing announcing the initiative, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus outlined the priorities of the response plan.
“The plan focuses on core areas: emergency coordination, surveillance, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control, clinical care, and community engagement,” Tedros said.
He described the programme as an urgent and coordinated effort designed to halt transmission and strengthen preparedness across affected areas.
“This is a practical plan. It sets out what we need to do now, together, to contain the current outbreak and reduce the risk of further spread,” he stated.
Tedros added that the initiative has clearly defined timelines and funding requirements.
“It’s a time-bound plan, covering June to November this year,” he said, adding that “it’s a costed plan, at $518 million”.
Public health experts have expressed particular concern over the Bundibugyo strain because there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments available for it.
Africa CDC noted that the present outbreak has already surpassed the scale of previous Bundibugyo Ebola outbreaks recorded in 2007 and 2012, making it the largest known outbreak associated with the strain.
The absence of approved medical countermeasures has increased pressure on health authorities to rely heavily on surveillance, early detection, isolation of cases, contact tracing, and community-based interventions to curb further transmission.
The joint WHO-Africa CDC initiative is expected to mobilise resources, strengthen healthcare systems, support frontline workers, and improve outbreak response capacities in affected countries as efforts intensify to prevent a broader public health emergency across Central and East Africa.
