WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak in Ituri province was spreading in an environment where insecurity, attacks on health facilities and population movements made contact tracing and case isolation “nearly impossible.”
“We cannot build community trust or isolate the sick while the bombs fall.» he said.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, first identified in Uganda in 2007, has no approved vaccine or treatment.
The DRC has reported nearly 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 reported seven confirmed cases linked to the outbreak, including two health workers and one confirmed death.
Rapidly evolving epidemic
The WHO has warned that the outbreak continues to spread geographically, with evidence of continued cross-border transmission.
The outbreak is centered in Ituri province but has now spread to 11 health zones, with cases also reported in North Kivu – notably 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 settings, with infections linked to caregiving, family gatherings and unsafe burial practices.
The province of Ituri (photo), in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is among the most affected areas.
Conflict undermines response
Efforts to contain the outbreak are taking place in one of the most volatile regions of eastern DRC.where humanitarian access has long been limited by a conflict involving several armed groups, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the CODECO militias and the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.
A December 2025 report from 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 mass displacements.
Active fighting and restrictions imposed by armed groups have also hampered humanitarian operations, limited civilian movements 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 IPC – the UN-backed global food security watchdog – 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 DRC experience 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 limited the movement of aid and access to health services.
“In many affected areas, health facilities are either non-functional or subject to serious constraints due to insecurity,“Tedros said.”The poor state of the roads further restricts the movement of goods and humanitarian aid.»
Children are also seriously affected, not only by infection, but also by the disruption of health, nutrition and education services, UNICEF warned. He adds that children affected by Ebola outbreaks often face the loss of parents and guardians, while stigma and fear can isolate them within their communities.
Building trust
WHO is at the center of a UN system-wide response, deploying emergency personnel, medical supplies and funds to help contain the outbreak.
The agency also works with community leaders in Bunia to build trust and combat misinformation. It has developed public information messages and awareness-raising materials adapted to local contexts and translated into local languages for wider reach.
“Community trust is the foundation of an effective public health response,” said Julienne Ngoundoung Anoko, WHO community engagement manager deployed to Bunia. “Without community support, epidemic control measures cannot succeed. “
Calls for ceasefire
Tedros called for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian and medical teams to safely access affected communities.
“Stopping Ebola transmission depends entirely on humanitarian access,» he said.
