The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it is intensifying efforts to support the Democratic Republic of Congo’s government in containing an Ebola outbreak in the north-eastern Ituri Province.
In a statement on Tuesday, the UN health agency said more than 35 experts and first responders from WHO and the Ministry of Health had been deployed to the field.
WHO said it had rapidly established and scaled up critical measures to control and halt the spread of the disease.
Following the declaration of the outbreak on May 15, 2026, WHO delivered 11.5 tonnes of vital medical supplies and equipment within 72 hours. The supplies were despatched from facilities in Kinshasa and from its Regional Emergency Hubs in Dakar and Nairobi.
The agency said additional teams were being deployed to reinforce key response measures, including disease surveillance, clinical care, infection prevention and control, and community engagement.
Collaboration with partner organisations and the private sector has been crucial in the timely delivery of emergency supplies.
“The United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has provided essential airlift support for transporting supplies from Nairobi and facilitated ground access,” the statement said.
Adama Thiam, Head of Regional Emergency Operations and Logistics at WHO Africa, said: “The collaboration with MONUSCO has been pivotal in ensuring a swift response. Their ability to provide airlift support significantly enhances our logistics capabilities.”
The statement noted that negotiations with Ethiopian Airlines enabled the reprioritisation of flights to ensure urgent delivery of cargo.
The supplies include personal protective equipment, medical kits, tents, and water, sanitation and hygiene items — all critical for preventing infection and managing cases.
“Additional supplies are already in transit from Kinshasa and will reach Ituri in the coming days to bolster response operations, save lives, protect frontline responders and help end the outbreak,” it added.
The outbreak is unfolding in a complex epidemiological, humanitarian and security environment characterised by insecurity, highly mobile populations, cross-border trade including mining activities, and large refugee communities.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, has determined that the outbreak, caused by the Ebola Bundibugyo virus, constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Unlike Ebola virus disease, no licensed vaccine or specific treatment currently exists for Bundibugyo virus disease. Response strategies are therefore relying heavily on comprehensive public health measures such as supportive care, early case detection, contact tracing, infection prevention, safe burials, and community engagement.
This is the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976. The previous outbreak ended in December 2025.
