GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization said on Wednesday the risk of global spread of the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda is high at national and regional levels but low at the global level.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said so far 51 cases have been confirmed in Congo in the northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu provinces in Congo, “although we know the scale of the epidemic is much larger.”
He said Uganda has also told the UN health agency of two confirmed cases in Uganda’s capital, Kampala.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks during a press conference on an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, at the UN health agency’s headquarters in Geneva on May 20, 2026. AFP via Getty Images
Aid workers carry supplies to set up an Ebola treatment center in Rwampara, Congo on May 19, 2026. AP Photo/Dirole Lotsima Dieudonne
Health workers talk at an Ebola treatment center in Rwampara, Congo on May 19, 2026. AP Photo/Dirole Lotsima Dieudonne
“Beyond the confirmed cases, there are almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected,” he said.
“We expect those numbers to keep increasing.”
Comments
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy