While the province of Ituri, in the north-east of the
Democratic Republic of Congorecords an outbreak of cases of hemorrhagic fever, the World Health Organization has just activated its near maximum alert for Ebola. The epidemic, linked to the Bundibugyo variant, has already resulted in at least eight confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths recorded by the WHO.
In a press release, the WHO estimates that this outbreak “constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)but does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency“. Since the 2024 reform of the International Health Regulations, the USPPI has become the second level of alert, behind the “emergency due to a pandemic”. Concretely, this decision opens a precise legal framework and triggers a reinforced global mobilization around Ituri.
Why is the WHO calling Ebola Bundibugyo an “international emergency”?
For the WHO, three criteria defined by the International Health Regulations are met: an extraordinary event, a risk of international spread and the need for a coordinated response. The disease has already crossed the border, with two cases confirmed in Kampala among travelers from Ituri, increasing the regional risk. The absence of a vaccine or specific treatment against Bundibugyo virusthe high expected lethality, up to 50% according to the Congolese Minister of Health, and the death of at least four caregivers argue for this qualification.
In Rwampara, a civil society representative describes a succession of unexplained deaths in villages without an isolation center. Many patients still die at home, their bodies handled by their loved ones, which complicates the detection of cases and encourages transmission.
What the USPPI changes for the DRC, Uganda and neighboring countries
The USPPI declaration first forces the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda into crisis mode. The WHO is asking them to activate national emergency operations centers, strengthen surveillance even in villages, increase laboratory capacities and secure hospitals, with protective equipment and training for exposed caregivers.
The recommendations also include the immediate isolation of confirmed cases, a travel ban for them, and daily contact monitoring for 21 days, the maximum incubation period. Trish Newport, emergency manager at Médecins Sans Frontières, warns: “In Ituri, many people already have difficulty accessing health care and live in permanent insecurity. It is therefore essential to act quickly to prevent the epidemic from worsening further“.
What this WHO Ebola alert means for the rest of the world
To break the chains of transmission, the WHO insists on community trust: “safe and dignified” funerals carried out by trained teams, clear information in local languages, involvement of religious leaders. For virologist Jean-Jacques Muyembe, co-discoverer of the virus, “Good communication with local communities and the population’s adherence to health measures are the main weapons to curb the spread of the disease.” (France24).
At this stage, the WHO advises other states against closing their borders or suspending flights to Central Africa, deeming these measures ineffective. The organization instead recommends informing travelers, being able to evacuate exposed caregivers and remaining on alert, without confusing an international emergency with a global pandemic scenario.