An Ebola outbreak was declared on 15 May 2026 by the Authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The outbreak has spread to the health zones of Mongbwalu, Rwanpara and Bunia in Ituri Province, and Butembo and Goma in North Kivu, with 516 suspected cases and 131 deaths. In neighbouring Uganda two cases, including one death, have also been confirmed by the Ugandan Ministry of Health. On 17 May 2026 the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
All Ebola cases reported at the Bunia Centre Medical Evangelique Nyakunde are frontline health professionals. Four health workers died within four days, highlighting major infection prevention control gaps and health facility transmission risks.
The outbreak severely threatens sexual and reproductive health outcomes, making pregnant women, newborns, and maternal healthcare providers at risk of nosocomial infection. Community fear of Ebola can also cause a sharp decline in accessing life-saving reproductive health services, and subsequently lead to increases in maternal and neonatal mortality.
UNFPA is adapting its existing programming in Ituri—which covers 10 health zones and serves 443,278 people—to align with the national Ebola response plan. UNFPA’s response strategy focuses on the integration of IPC and emergency obstetric and neonatal care in maternity wards; risk communication and community engagement to reduce stigma, maintain confidence in health facilities, and prevent/reduce sexual transmission of the disease; and protection against gender-based violence, including sexual exploitation and abuse.
