Confirmed Ebola cases nearly double in days as WHO chief visits DR Congo

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus travelled to Bunia, the capital of DR Congo's Ituri province, on Saturday as the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the country rose sharply. Al Jazeera reported that confirmed cases reached 225 on Friday, nearly double the 121 reported two days earlier. The Guardian — World reported 344 confirmed cases and 60 deaths as of its latest update, while AllAfrica reported 515 confirmed cases and 91 deaths across three eastern provinces as of Saturday.

Speaking in Bunia, Tedros said the outbreak could have begun as early as January, giving the virus a “big head-start” and leaving the response behind, as quoted by The Guardian — World. Tedros called on armed groups to declare a ceasefire so that health workers could reach the affected areas, according to Al Jazeera.

Coverage comparison

The reported figures differ, reflecting the outbreak's timeline. Al Jazeera noted that the number of confirmed cases spiralled from 121 to 225 between 28 and 30 May. The Guardian reported 344 confirmed cases and 60 deaths in DRC, and added that 15 cases including one death had been confirmed in Uganda. AllAfrica, meanwhile, reported the highest confirmed case count — 515 across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces — and 91 deaths, along with 19 confirmed cases and two deaths in Uganda, in a report about a UN assessment visit. The Hindu – World said the WHO had tallied 906 suspected cases in DRC and 223 suspected deaths, while the confirmed figure in Uganda stood at nine.

Africa News reported Tedros' visit to the Evangelical Medical Centre in Bunia, where doctors presented five recoveries, and quoted the WHO head as saying that “seeking care early makes a real difference” since no vaccine or approved treatment exists for the Bundibugyo virus.

Challenges facing the response were also on the agenda. The Hindu reported that both the EU and the United States have stepped in with aid: the US announced $80 million in additional assistance on 28 May, while the EU delivered medical supplies to Ituri province, with more shipments expected over the following eight days.

Key claims

The outbreak was declared on 15 May in the northeastern part of the country, as reported by Dawn. The early case numbers remain uncertain; the first case has been traced to a nurse who sought care on 24 April, and the virus may have been spreading undetected for months.

The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or treatment, and three candidate vaccines are under development, according to AllAfrica.

The WHO chief's call for a ceasefire is a major policy point.

In the security-heavy region, mistrust among some communities and limited testing capacity have hampered containment, according to Dawn. The Guardian reported that contact tracing is particularly difficult due to insecurity and displacement, with only about 45% of contacts followed up.

Dr. Jean Kaseya, head of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told Al Jazeera that a vaccine against Bundibugyo is expected by the end of 2026.