DRC Ebola Outbreak Spreads To 63 Health Zones

The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to two additional health zones, bringing the total number affected to 63 across seven provinces, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

The newly affected areas are Bulu in Sud-Ubangi province and Dungu in Haut-Uele province, which borders South Sudan.

As of September 23, Congo had recorded 7,890 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,799 deaths, according to the WHO.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said conflict and population displacement were making it more difficult for health workers to reach affected communities and trace people who may have been exposed to the virus.

He said restricted access could leave contacts untraced, while displacement and overcrowding could increase the risk of transmission. Tedros said cases were declining overall, while contact tracing, safe burials and community engagement had improved. However, he said transmission remained uneven across affected areas.

The response has also been complicated by the lack of approved vaccines and treatments for the Bundibugyo strain. Tedros said this could make some people reluctant to seek treatment and that the WHO was working to accelerate clinical trials of vaccines and treatments.

Tedros also said countries needed to strengthen preparations for future global health emergencies. He said Ebola would not become a pandemic but warned that a respiratory pathogen could cause one if countries were not adequately prepared.

The World Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement in May 2025 to strengthen global prevention, preparedness and response to future pandemics.

Tedros also rejected what he described as false claims that the agreement would allow the WHO to take control of national sovereignty, calling them misinformation.

SOURCE: Reuters