WHO warns of 'catastrophic collision' between Ebola outbreak and conflict in DR Congo

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning that ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is severely hampering efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak in Ituri province. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation as a "catastrophic collision of disease and conflict," noting that fighting prevents community trust-building and the safe isolation of patients. Tedros is scheduled to visit the country to help scale up containment efforts.

The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola for which there are no vaccines or approved medicines, has resulted in 220 suspected deaths, with only 17 confirmed by laboratory tests. Approximately 1,000 people are currently showing symptoms, and medics are racing to trace 3,600 contacts. International travel restrictions have been imposed by Canada, the Bahamas, and the US on residents from DR Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) announced it would increase its on-ground presence via the EU Health Task Force.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the WHO "cannot build community trust or isolate the sick while bombs are falling" and called for an immediate ceasefire to allow medical teams safe access. He emphasised that stopping transmission in the region "depends entirely on humanitarian access," yet ongoing clashes are driving mass displacement and severing critical containment corridors. Frontline workers are risking everything, while attacks on health facilities make tracking cases and their contacts nearly impossible.

Aid workers are facing difficulties due to poor road conditions, conflict, mass displacement, and international aid cuts. Ituri province has been under military rule since 2021, when civilian authority was replaced by a military general to neutralise armed groups. Ewald Stals, the DR Congo country director for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), stated that it will take several weeks to get proper infrastructure in place and that the virus is currently "ahead of us" due to insufficient testing.

Some 2,000 tests have been distributed, with a further 4,000 due to be sent out. Experimental treatments, including an antibody developed in the US, could be introduced soon. However, Stals noted that without a full picture of the situation, the response remains far behind the spread of the virus. The WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern but assesses the global risk as low.