WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern

Africa CDC Declares Public Health Emergency of Continental Security

Baljit Singh Brar, New Delhi, May 24

In light of the reported outbreaks of Ebola Disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO), under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005, on 17 May 2026, determined the situation to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has also officially declared the ongoing outbreak of Bundibugyo strain Ebola Virus Disease affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security with documented Bundibugyo virus detection”. Further, the WHO IHR Emergency Committee on 22 May 2026 issued temporary recommendations to strengthen disease surveillance at Points of Entry to “detect, assess, report and manage travellers with unex-plained febrile illness arriving from areas with docu-mented Bundibugyo virus detection” while also “dis-couraging travel to areas Countries bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, including South Sudan, are assessed to be at high risk of disease transmission. Ebola Disease is a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by infection with the Bundibugyo virus strain of Ebola Virus. It is a serious disease with a high mortality rate. At present, no vaccines or specific treatments have been approved to prevent or treat Ebola Disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain. India has not reported any case of Ebola Disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain.

In view of the evolving situa-tion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other affected countries, and in line with WHO’s recom-mendations, Government of India advises all Indian citi-zens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan until further notice. Indian citizens currently residing in or travelling to these coun-tries are advised to strictly follow public health guid-ance issued by local authori-ties and maintain heightened precautions.