The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the escalating Ebola virus outbreak centered in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 16, 2026 by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Simultaneously, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has categorized it as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS). The outbreak spread to Uganda.
VillageReach has put together this update to provide information and resources to help you stay informed about the outbreak as well as VillageReach’s ongoing response.
About Ebola
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Ebola is caused by a group of viruses that belong to the Orthoebolaviruses genus of the filoviridae family. The disease was first discovered in 1976 during two simultaneous outbreaks in South Sudan and DRC. There are four types of Orthoebolaviruses that are known to cause infection in humans. The current outbreak is from the Bundibugyo virus (species Orthoebolavirus bundibugyoense), which causes Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD).
Initial alerts were reported in Ituri Province, DRC in early May and were tested and found to be BVD. Since the first identification of the virus, more cases have been identified in the neighboring province of Nord Kivu, with another confirmed case identified in Sud Kivu Province. Additional cases had been identified in Uganda, and the cross-border transmission risk remains high. This is also the third outbreak of BVD, which has a mortality rate of 25%-50%, with the previous outbreaks occurring in Uganda in 2007 and DRC in 2012. This is the 17th recorded outbreak of Ebola disease in DRC since 1976, with the most recent outbreak having ended in December 2025. As of Sept 6, 2026, the DRC Ministry of Health has reported:
As of Aug 27, 2026, the Uganda Ministry of Health has reported:
On August 27, 2027, the Africa CDC and WHO declared Uganda to be Ebola-free, following 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case since the country’s last patient, an imported case, was discharged from care on July 16, 2026.
The first early-stage symptoms of Ebola are “dry” symptoms that include fever, aches, pains and fatigue. These can progress to “wet” symptoms that include diarrhea, vomiting and internal and external bleeding from orifices. On average, symptoms begin eight to 10 days after exposure.
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There are two licensed vaccines available against Orthoebolavirus zairense, the type of Ebola virus responsible for the deadliest Ebola outbreaks, including the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak. These include:
However, the other three types, including BVD, have no available vaccines or treatment options other than aggressive supportive care.
Ebola virus is initially spread through close contact with blood, secretions and other bodily fluids of infected animals, such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas or monkeys. It is then spread from human to human through direct contact with blood or bodily fluids from an infected person and through contact with contaminated objects or surfaces such as clothing, bedding or medical equipment. DRC is prone to Ebola outbreaks because the virus’s “natural reservoir”—the fruit bat—is found in the country’s forested areas.
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VillageReach Response
To date, VillageReach is supporting the DRC government in three affected provinces.
VillageReach is currently monitoring and planning our response to the Ebola outbreak in DRC, where we have supported the government since 2015. Our immediate priorities are to:
1. Protecting frontline health workers by ensuring access to personal protective equipment (PPE)
- VillageReach has secured a commitment from Direct Relief to provide 263,000 pieces of PPE. We’re now raising funds to cover transport into DRC and delivery to affected regions. Learn more about Direct Relief’s response to the Ebola Outbreak here.
2. Strengthening cross-border surveillance and contact tracing to limit the spread of the virus
3. Engaging communities with clear, trusted information to reduce transmission and support early care-seeking
4. Strengthening the capacity of service providers on biosecurity, biosafety and procedures for collecting, managing and transporting samples related to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
- In Ituri, DRC, we’re supporting response efforts by transporting samples from Ebola treatment centers established at the General Referral Hospital and the Evangelical Medical Center to the National Institute of Biomedical Research laboratory in Bunia for analysis.
If you would like to support VillageReach’s response, a gift to our general operations fund allows us to deploy resources quickly and flexibly – getting support where it is needed most, when it matters most.