The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the largest ever recorded, with more than 1,400 confirmed cases and over 400 deaths.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, disclosed this on Friday during an online media briefing on the Ebola situation in the DRC and Uganda.
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Mr Janabi described the outbreak as one of Africa’s most serious public health emergencies this year and called for sustained international support to bring the virus under control.
Despite the rising number of infections, he said response efforts have recorded encouraging progress through stronger surveillance, improved contact tracing, earlier case detection and increasing patient recoveries.
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According to him, transmission remains concentrated in a small number of hotspots, although weekly infections have reached their highest levels since the outbreak began, highlighting the need for intensified response measures.
Mr Janabi noted that the current outbreak has surpassed all previous Bundibugyo Ebola outbreaks combined, exceeding those recorded in Uganda in 2007 and the DRC in 2012.
“Contact tracing has improved significantly, rising from 25 to 83 per cent in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Uganda has achieved 100 per cent follow-up of identified contacts,” he said.
“Better surveillance has increased case detection, explaining that higher reported infections partly reflect improved community trust and stronger health systems.
“Earlier detection enables patients to receive treatment sooner, improves monitoring of contacts, and helps health workers interrupt transmission before additional infections occur.”
Mr Janabi warned that a recent imported Ebola case in Uganda demonstrates the continued threat of cross-border transmission as long as infections persist in the eastern DRC.
He called for stronger collaboration between neighboring countries through timely information sharing, coordinated preparedness, and joint surveillance to prevent further international spread.
He also commended the governments of Uganda and DRC, frontline health workers, Africa CDC, and development partners for sustaining response efforts under difficult conditions.
Clinical trial
Mr Janabi announced the enrollment of the first patients into a WHO-supported clinical trial evaluating potential treatments specifically targeting the Bundibugyo Ebola virus.
He described the trial as a major scientific milestone that could improve patient care during the current outbreak while strengthening future Ebola responses.
He urged governments to expand treatment capacity, accelerate laboratory testing, rapidly investigate suspected cases, and ensure health workers receive adequate protection and support.
He also appealed for sustained financial support, noting that response efforts require resources, speed, and partnerships rather than commitment alone.
Also, the Director-General, Ministry of Health in Uganda, Charles Olaro, said that the country reported 20 confirmed Ebola cases as of 2 July, including 15 imported infections and five Ugandan nationals identified during institutional quarantine.
Mr Olaro said no community transmission has been recorded in Uganda, with surveillance systems remaining fully activated to detect and contain new infections.
“Uganda has monitored 836 identified contacts, while several have completed the mandatory 21-day follow-up period without developing Ebola symptoms,” he said.
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He said experience from previous outbreaks had enhanced Uganda’s preparedness by improving surveillance, community engagement, laboratory capacity and emergency response coordination.
“Uganda and the DRC continue sharing surveillance information through a formal cross-border response mechanism to strengthen regional outbreak containment.
“Laboratory testing capacity in DRC has expanded dramatically, increasing from fewer than 30 daily samples to more than 2,000.
“More than 200 patients have recovered and been discharged from treatment centres, reflecting improvements in clinical care and earlier diagnosis.”
He added that epidemiological trends remain concerning, projecting that confirmed cases could approach 1,500 if transmission continues in affected hotspots.
According to Mr Olaro, the outbreak can still be contained through sustained funding, regional solidarity, scientific innovation, and continued cooperation among governments, communities, and international partners.
(NAN)
