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Over 900 suspected cases identified in DRC Ebola response: WHO chief
By Xinhua Published: May 26, 2026 08:35 AM
A medical worker puts on protective suits before the burial of an Ebola victim in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), May 24, 2026. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday that as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) scales up surveillance in its Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases. (Photo: Xinhua)

A medical worker puts on protective suits before the burial of an Ebola victim in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), May 24, 2026. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday that as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) scales up surveillance in its Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases. (Photo: Xinhua)


Medical workers in protective suits transfer the body of an Ebola victim in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), May 24, 2026. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday that as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) scales up surveillance in its Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases. (Photo: Xinhua)

Medical workers in protective suits transfer the body of an Ebola victim in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), May 24, 2026. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday that as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) scales up surveillance in its Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases. (Photo: Xinhua)



Medical workers in protective suits transfer the body of an Ebola victim in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), May 24, 2026. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday that as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) scales up surveillance in its Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases. (Photo: Xinhua)

Medical workers in protective suits transfer the body of an Ebola victim in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), May 24, 2026. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday that as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) scales up surveillance in its Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases. (Photo: Xinhua)



Medical workers in protective suits are disinfected before the burial of an Ebola victim in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), May 24, 2026. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday that as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) scales up surveillance in its Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases. (Photo: Xinhua)

Medical workers in protective suits are disinfected before the burial of an Ebola victim in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), May 24, 2026. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday that as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) scales up surveillance in its Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases. (Photo: Xinhua)



World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday that as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) scales up surveillance in its Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases.

In Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, nearly 5 million people live amid ongoing conflict, with one in four in need of humanitarian assistance and one in five internally displaced, Tedros said in a post on X.

"The violence is forcing people to flee, including health and humanitarian workers. This is severely impeding efforts to scale up Ebola contact tracing and identify infections early enough to provide supportive care," he added, noting that ongoing insecurity and fear are also fueling mistrust within communities.

The WHO chief said that WHO and humanitarian health partners maintain a presence across Ituri, including in some of the hardest-to-reach and most insecure areas, where communities are facing not only the threat of Ebola but also a wide range of diseases.

Tedros emphasized that delivering a comprehensive package of healthcare services is essential -- not only to meet urgent health needs, but also to build the trust that is critical for an effective Ebola response.

On May 16, Tedros determined that the Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC and Uganda constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. On May 22, the WHO revised its risk assessment to "very high" at the national level, while keeping it as "high" at the regional level and "low" globally.