DRC and WHO reaffirm partnership to combat Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the World Health Organization have reaffirmed their partnership to protect public health in Ituri Province following a high-level mission to Bunia. The visit brought together DRC Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba, Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The joint statement comes as the country grapples with an Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, with cases and deaths spreading across several health zones in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces. The government is leading a comprehensive national response with WHO and partner support, intensifying surveillance, laboratory testing, and patient care efforts to interrupt transmission.

By early August, the outbreak had claimed more than 1,700 lives, making it the worst Ebola outbreak in DRC history and the fastest-growing on record. The Bundibugyo strain currently has no approved vaccine or treatment.

In June, the Africa CDC and WHO launched a continental preparedness and response plan requesting $518 million to support African countries through November 2026. The plan encompasses emergency coordination, disease surveillance, laboratory testing, infection prevention, clinical care, community engagement, and research initiatives.

In July, WHO added the first molecular diagnostic test for Bundibugyo virus to its Emergency Use Listing and opened patient enrollment in the PARTNERS clinical trial to identify effective treatments. The organization also released comprehensive guidelines for filovirus disease management covering all Ebola and Marburg virus types.

By mid-August, WHO warned that infection rates remained high and authorities were struggling to control the disease.