By Badylon Kawanda Bakiman
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is once again confronting an Ebola outbreak — the 17th in the country’s history. This latest outbreak is affecting the eastern region of Ituri Province, with health authorities racing to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
Speaking during a press briefing in Bunia on Sunday, May 17, 2026, the DRC’s Minister of Public Health, Samuel Roger Kamba, revealed that more than 350 suspected Ebola cases have already been recorded, alongside 91 probable deaths.
According to the minister, 59 confirmed Ebola patients are currently receiving treatment at health facilities in Bunia and Mongwalu, the two areas identified as the epicenters of the outbreak.
“We currently have 59 patients actively receiving treatment. In total, we have around 350 suspected cases. We are preparing to establish treatment centers at three sites to increase our response capacity. Regarding fatalities, 91 probable deaths have already been reported,” Kamba said.
He added that the government has already launched an emergency response operation, reinforced by additional medical personnel and logistical support from the national public health emergency operations center.
“We have already initiated the response effort, and today we are strengthening it with material and human resources. Sites have already been selected in Rampara, Mongwalu, and here in Bunia,” he added.
Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the renowned Congolese virologist who co-discovered the Ebola virus in 1976, urged calm while emphasizing that authorities are working to determine the full scale of the outbreak.
“They are working on it. We are now compiling a list of all suspected cases and tracing possible links between them. That will help us understand the true magnitude of the situation. For now, panic is spreading because some people believe this is a completely new strain. In reality, it is not entirely new, and it is not the deadliest strain. The response will take time, but we will defeat it,” Muyembe explained.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), warned that the Bundibugyo strain currently circulating presents additional challenges because there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment available for it.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also weighed in on the outbreak. Following consultations with affected states, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus determined that the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC and Uganda constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), although it does not currently meet the threshold for classification as a pandemic emergency under the International Health Regulations (IHR).
