WHO warns conflict, displacement hastening spread of Ebola

Conflict and large-scale displacement in the eastern part of Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, are severely complicating efforts to contain a growing Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus strain, the World Health Organization has said, warning that insecurity, population movement, and overstretched health systems are hampering surveillance and response operations in one of Central Africa's most volatile regions.

"Conflict has intensified since late 2025, and fighting has escalated significantly over the past two months, with over 100,000 people newly displaced," said the WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at a news briefing on Wednesday. "The area is also a mining zone, with high levels of population movement that increase the risk of further spread."

The WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, with at least 51 confirmed cases and nearly 600 suspected cases reported in DRC and Uganda, though the scale of the epidemic is estimated to be much larger.

He said insecurity in Ituri province in DRC had severely disrupted healthcare delivery and disease surveillance systems, noting that health facilities cannot function effectively during conflict, particularly as many health workers are forced to flee alongside displaced communities, weakening the region's ability to detect and respond to outbreaks.

Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO regional director for Africa, said detecting outbreaks in conflict-affected and remote areas remained inherently difficult because surveillance systems depend heavily on community reporting, functioning local health facilities and laboratory access.

"Surveillance systems rely on a combination of community reporting, local health facilities, lab confirmation, and partnership," he said, emphasizing that the WHO's role is to support national authorities, rather than replace them.

He said transportation challenges and limited diagnostic capacity further delayed confirmation of the virus, after samples had to be transported more than 1,700 kilometers from Ituri to Kinshasa for testing.

WHO officials warned healthcare-associated transmission had already been reported, including infections among healthcare workers, which they said underscores the urgent need to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.

Lucille Blumberg, an epidemiologist and former deputy director of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa, called for intensified surveillance, rapid contact tracing, quarantine measures, and increased protection for healthcare workers and affected communities.

She said the outbreak highlighted the urgent need for additional resources and international support, particularly as authorities seek to maintain essential health services, including those for tuberculosis, malaria, maternal, and child healthcare in affected regions.