WHO Warns Ebola Outbreak Spreads Across DRC and Uganda as Vaccine Delay Reaches Nine Months
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that it could take up to nine months before a vaccine specifically targeting the Ebola Bundibugyo strain becomes available, as health experts race to contain a growing outbreak in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
WHO Senior Advisor Vasee Moorthy, who confirmed that two experimental vaccine candidates are currently under development and testing in response to the resurgence of the virus.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, first identified in Uganda in 2007–2008, has once again raised global concern after re-emerging in Central and East Africa, prompting renewed emergency surveillance and response measures from international health authorities.
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the outbreak has already infected more than 600 people and caused at least 139 deaths, with additional confirmed cases reported across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Speaking during a press briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, held on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly taking place from May 18 to 23, 2026, Tedros warned that the situation remains highly concerning due to ongoing transmission in multiple regions.
Health authorities reported that 51 additional Ebola cases have been confirmed in eastern DRC, while two cases have also been detected in Uganda, raising fears of cross-border spread if containment measures are not strengthened.
The first recorded fatality in the current Bundibugyo outbreak occurred in Bunia, Ituri Province, on April 24, 2026. However, the case was only officially confirmed as Ebola-related six weeks later, highlighting challenges in early detection and rapid diagnosis.
The Bundibugyo strain was first discovered in Uganda between 2007 and 2008, where it infected 149 people and claimed 37 lives. It later resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012 in the Isiro region, infecting 57 people and killing 29.
On May 17, 2026, the World Health Organization officially declared the renewed Ebola outbreak in both the DRC and Uganda a serious public health concern of international significance, urging countries in the region to strengthen preparedness, surveillance, and response coordination.
WHO continues to work with national health authorities and international partners to accelerate vaccine development, improve case management, and prevent further spread of the virus across borders.
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