WHO risk assessment raises DRC to ‘very high’
WHO raises alarm over expanding Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo
WHO has raised its risk assessment for the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to ‘very high’, warning that the situation is deteriorating rapidly amid insecurity, displacement and strained health systems. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the risk was also “high” regionally and “low” globally.
WHO confirmed 82 cases and seven deaths in the DRC, but officials acknowledged the true scale is likely much larger, with nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths already identified. Uganda has confirmed two imported cases linked to travel from the DRC, including one death, though WHO said contact tracing and public health measures have so far prevented wider spread there.
The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund has committed $60 million to support the response, and this afternoon, the Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, announced an additional €15 million in humanitarian assistance to support the response.
“The European Union is mobilising humanitarian assistance and working closely with national authorities, WHO, Africa CDC and humanitarian partners to support emergency operations, strengthen preparedness and help contain the outbreak. The EU remains committed to supporting affected communities and preventing further transmission of the virus,” said Lahbib.
WHO officials stressed that the outbreak is unfolding in one of the world's most difficult humanitarian environments.
WHO DRC representative, Dr Anne Ancia, speaking from the field in the DRC, described the severe operational challenges facing health teams.
“We are running behind,” she said, noting that surveillance teams are struggling to keep pace with transmission because the virus had likely been spreading silently for weeks before the outbreak was officially identified.
Ancia said contact tracing was functioning relatively well in South and North Kivu, but that the situation in Bunia and surrounding hotspots remains far more difficult. A recent attack on a hospital in Rwampara saw tents and medical supplies burned, temporarily halting operations.
Despite the setbacks, Ancia said WHO teams, provincial authorities and community leaders were working to restore calm and restart response activities. Treatment centres are being established in every affected health zone to reduce the movement of potentially infected patients and limit further spread.
She emphasized that rising case numbers should not necessarily be interpreted as evidence of uncontrolled spread alone, but also as a sign that surveillance systems are improving.
Race to develop vaccines and treatments
Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks caused by the Zaire strain, the current Bundibugyo outbreak has no licensed vaccine available. WHO’s research and development teams are urgently reviewing experimental vaccine candidates and therapeutic options.
WHO’s Chief Scientist Sylvie Briand said several experimental vaccines are under assessment. One promising candidate is a Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV)-based vaccine specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain, though doses are not yet available for human clinical trials. Another candidate, developed through a collaboration between the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, is still awaiting animal efficacy data before it can move into trials.
Briand cautioned that even under accelerated timelines, it could take six to nine months before vaccine candidates are ready for clinical testing. In the meantime, WHO says the response will depend heavily on surveillance, contact tracing, safe burials and supportive treatment.
Therapeutics and diagnostics prioritized
WHO experts have already identified several therapeutic candidates that may help treatment of infected patients. Two monoclonal antibody therapies: Regeneron’s 3479 antibody cocktail and MabBio’s MBP-134, have been prioritised for clinical use and further evaluation.
In addition, the antiviral drug Remdesivir is being considered both as a treatment and as a possible post-exposure prophylactic for high-risk contacts.
WHO’s Medical Countermeasures Network has also been activated to coordinate work on diagnostics. Officials said existing GeneXpert diagnostic tools are not effective for the Bundibugyo strain, prompting efforts to identify and deploy alternative tests suitable for field conditions.
Strengthening health systems
Ancia stressed that WHO intends not only to control the outbreak, but also to leave behind a stronger health infrastructure in the DRC. She pointed to previous investments made during the mpox response, where laboratory capacity expanded from just two testing sites to more than 60 nationwide.
She reassured officials in Bunia: “When we finish with this response, you will have stronger systems, stronger human resources, laboratories that are equipped and staff trained in infection prevention and control.”
Catherine Feore