139 Ebola deaths, 600 infections recorded in DRC: WHO
May 21, 2026
Geneva [Switzerland], May 21: The World Health Organisation announced on Wednesday that 600 cases of Ebola and 139 associated deaths have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo, warning that figures are expected to rise due to the prolonged undetected spread of the virus across both the DRC and Uganda.
Speaking at a media briefing in Geneva, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the emergency committee has determined this latest outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, though it does not classify as a pandemic. The organisation currently assesses the epidemic risk as high at national and regional levels, but low globally.
WHO Emergency Chief Chikwe Ihekweazu added that the immediate priority remains mapping all existing chains of transmission, which will enable teams to precisely gauge the scale of the outbreak and deliver targeted medical care.
Source: Emirates News Agency
