Democratic Republic of the Congo & Uganda Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Outbreak Situation Report #4
- Emergency Manager's Weekly Report
- 44 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Global Highlights: Â
·      The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on May 25th the following:
o  There are 101 confirmed and more than 900 suspected cases.
·      Instability and humanitarian needs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remain an issue:
o  Nearly five million people live amid ongoing conflict.
o  One in four people are in need of humanitarian assistance and one in five are Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
o  Violence induced displacement is severely impeding efforts to scale up contact tracing and identify infections early enough to provide supportive care.
o  The ongoing insecurity and fear are also fueling mistrust within affected communities.
·      The DRCs Ituri province remains the epicenter of this outbreak.
·      The public health response is encountering a number of challenges, some of these are:
o  The absence of standardized isolation and treatment facilities and weak screening and referral pathways.
o  There is inconsistent implementation of safe and dignified burial measures, which further underscores the significant risk of healthcare-associated transmission.
·      The European Union on May 22nd has allocated an additional 15 million Euros in humanitarian assistance.
·      Risk Assessment:
o  The Africa Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (Africa CDC) has established three risk categories, these are:
ü Category 1: Affected countries (DRC & Uganda).
ü Category 2: These countries have known trade and travel routes, have a proximity to the affected health zones and have porous border crossings with the affected countries (South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, Central African Republic, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, Congo, Burundi, & Somalia).
ü Category 3: All other African countries.
o  WHO May 22nd Risk Assessment:
ü National Level: Very High.
ü Regional Level: High.
ü Global Level: Low. Â
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Democratic Republic of the Congo Highlights:
·      A total of 1,603 contacts have been identified as of May 21st in the Ituri province. The follow-up rate of these contacts is at 21%.
·      The DRC Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Security and WHO are implementing the following public health actions:
o  Subnational coordination structures are being activated at the provincial and health zones level to coordinate operational activities.
o  Rapid response teams have been deployed to Bunia, Mongbwalu, and Rwampara health zones.
o  The UN Migration Agency (IOM) is supporting points-of-entry surveillance.
o  WHO and partners are supporting the ongoing establishment and operationalization of isolation and treatment facilities in affected areas.
o  Laboratory surge capacity is being scaled-up:
ü The Institut National de la Recherche Biomédicale teams are deploying to Bunia to establish and scale-up testing.
ü A decentralization strategy is being developed to add additional field laboratories to Mongbwalu and Mahagi.
ü Goma laboratory is activated and provide testing capacities for North Kivu.
o  Community mobilization has started in Mongbwalu, while social listening activities and deployment of UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) digital platforms are underway to improve community feedback and information sharing.
o  WHO is supporting engagement interventions with community and religious leaders
o  EpiShuttle patient isolation transport systems, vehicles, telecommunications equipment, laboratory consumables, portable point-of-care diagnostic machines, reagents, cold-chain modules, and Ebola polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing kits have been deployed.
o  Coordination is underway to mobilize one helicopter, three ambulances, and two armored vehicles to support cargo and personnel movement.
·      The DRC Red Cross Society is continuing to conduct safe and dignified burial operations in the affected areas. These teams also have the following mission objectives:
o  Community awareness-raising.
o  Providing support for families.
o  Disinfection of high-risk areas.
·      The World Food Programme (WFP) has published an analysis that examined the food security of the DRC eastern provinces. This analysis found the following:
o  The high dependence on food imports, is exposing the DRC to international geopolitical and logistical shocks.
o  Persistent pressures on purchasing power are due to rising fuel and transportation costs.
o  The outbreak exacerbates household vulnerability in the DRC by combining mobility restrictions, reduced incomes, and rising prices.
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Uganda Highlights:
·      The Uganda Ministry of Health (MOH) reported three new cases as of May 23rd:
o  These cases include a health worker and a driver of the first case documented in the country. The other case is a Congolese citizen.
o  As of May 18th, WHO and the MOH had identified 127 contacts. These include close household contacts and hospital contacts where the cases were hospitalized.
·      WHO and the MOH are implementing the following public health actions:
o  The National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and regional Emergency Operations Centres were activated in Fort Portal, Arua, Yumbe, Kampala Capital City Authority, Kabale, and Hoima, with the national response plan and rapid risk assessment finalized.
o  Field teams are utilizing GoData for contact tracing.
o  Isolation facilities in high-risk districts have been activated and the Uganda National Emergency Medical Team has been deployed to support clinical management.
o  A mobile laboratory is being deployed to Kasese near the DRC border.
o  Risk communication systems have been activated with community messaging and public awareness campaigns ongoing through District Health Officer networks, with health workers receiving guidance on standard precautions and public health messaging.
·      The Uganda Red Cross Society is supporting the public health response through the following actions:
o  Risk Communication and community engagement.
o  Supporting infection prevention and control and health surveillance.
o  Providing emergency response and mobilization of Red Cross volunteers.
o  Conducting safe and dignified burials.
o  Cross-border screenings in concert with the MOH.
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United States Highlights:
·      Public health entry screening for travelers from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan has been expanded to include Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
·      Travelers from these countries will be escorted to a designated airport screening area for additional health screenings.
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Sources:
·      Economic Outlook Note on the Impacts of the Middle East Crisis on Food Security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (May 2026)
·      Disease Outbreak News: Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus - Democratic Republic of the Congo, May 21stÂ
·      Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Security Twitter Page
·      Uganda Ministry of Health Twitter Page
·      Africa CDC Twitter PageÂ
·      World Health Organization Twitter Page
·      CDC Twitter PageÂ
·      DRC Red Cross Society Twitter Page
·      Uganda Red Cross Society Twitter PageÂ
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Resources
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CDC Health Advisory: Ebola Disease Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
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ECDC, Ebola disease
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