The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in parts of Central and East Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), following a surge in infections across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
The declaration marks the highest level of global alert under international health regulations, signaling a coordinated global response to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
Health authorities confirmed that the outbreak, caused by the Ebola virus disease, has spread across remote and high-risk communities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with confirmed and suspected cases also reported in Uganda.
According to WHO assessments, the outbreak has been driven by a combination of factors, including population movement across porous borders, limited healthcare access in conflict-affected regions, and delayed detection of early cases.
The World Health Organization said the decision to declare a PHEIC was taken due to the risk of further regional spread and the potential for the virus to reach densely populated urban areas.
Health experts are particularly concerned about transmission chains emerging in hard-to-reach communities and the possibility of cross-border exportation of cases if containment measures fail.
Emergency response teams have been deployed to affected areas to strengthen surveillance, improve contact tracing, and support treatment centers. WHO is also coordinating with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and national health authorities in both countries to accelerate containment efforts.
Authorities are urging the public to report symptoms early, avoid contact with infected individuals, and adhere to established infection prevention protocols.
