WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Ebola Bundibugyo virus outbreak in Ituri province was spreading in an environment where insecurity, attacks on health facilities and population movements made it “almost impossible” to trace contacts and isolate cases.
“We cannot build trust in the community or isolate the sick while bombs fall,” said.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, first identified in Uganda in 2007, has no approved vaccine or treatment.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported almost 1,000 suspected cases of Ebola and more than 220 suspected deaths, according to figures from health agencies and partners, although only one death has been laboratory confirmed. In neighboring Uganda, health authorities have reported seven confirmed cases linked to the outbreak, including two health workers and one confirmed death.
Rapidly evolving outbreak
The WHO warned that the outbreak continued to spread geographically, with evidence of cross-border transmission ongoing.
The outbreak is centered in Ituri province, but has now spread to 11 health zones, with cases also reported in North Kivu (including Butembo and Goma) and South Kivu, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Health officials say the virus is spreading through family groups and health care facilities, with infections linked to caregiving, family gatherings and unsafe funeral practices.
Ituri province (pictured) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is among the worst affected areas.
Conflict undermines response
Efforts are underway to contain the outbreak in one of the most volatile regions in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.where humanitarian access has long been limited by conflict involving multiple armed groups, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), CODECO militias and the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.
A December 2025 report by the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, documented persistent violence in Ituri and North Kivu, including attacks on villages, health facilities and displaced communities that killed hundreds of civilians and forced widespread displacement.
Active fighting and restrictions imposed by armed groups also hampered humanitarian operations, limited the movement of civilians, and disrupted access to essential services.
Hunger and disease collide
The violence has worsened an already serious humanitarian crisis. According to the latest analysis from the CPI, the UN-backed global food security monitor, almost 10 million people in Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tanganyika face acute hunger between January and June 2026.
Nationally, an estimated 26.5 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity.
“Hunger and disease are old companions,“Tedros said.”People weakened by hunger are much more vulnerable to infections.“
Bad roads, damaged infrastructure
The WHO said conflict, poor infrastructure and insecurity were limiting aid movement and access to health services.
“In many affected areas, health facilities do not function or operate with serious limitations due to insecurity,“Tedros said.”Poor road conditions further restrict the movement of goods and humanitarian assistance.“
Children are also being severely affected, not only by infection but also by the disruption of health, nutrition and education services, UNICEF warned. She added that children affected by Ebola outbreaks often face the loss of their parents and caregivers, while stigma and fear can leave them isolated within their communities.
Building trust
WHO is at the center of a UN system-wide response, deploying emergency personnel, medical supplies and funding to help contain the outbreak.
The agency is also working with community leaders in Bunia to build trust and counter misinformation. It has developed public information messages and awareness materials adapted to local contexts and translated into local languages for broader reach.
“Community trust is the foundation of an effective public health response,“said Julienne Ngoundoung Anoko, WHO Community Engagement Officer deployed in Bunia. “Without community support, outbreak control measures cannot be successful.”
Calls for a ceasefire
Tedros called for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian and medical teams safe access to affected communities.
“Stopping this transmission of Ebola depends entirely on humanitarian access,” said.
