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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
World
RFI

WHO declares global emergency as DRC Ebola outbreak spreads beyond borders

A border health officer at the Busunga crossing between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo checks a traveler's temperature using a contactless infrared thermometer in Bundibugyo, on 18 May 2026.
A border health officer at the Busunga crossing between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo checks a traveler's temperature using a contactless infrared thermometer in Bundibugyo, on 18 May 2026. AFP - BADRU KATUMBA

The death toll from the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has climbed to 131, with more than 500 suspected cases now recorded. The World Health Organization said it was "deeply concerned" by the scale and pace of the epidemic.

According to Congo's health minister, Samuel-Roger Kamba, the outbreak, centred in the country's northeast, has spread beyond its original hotspot and crossed international borders, prompting the WHO to declare a public health emergency of international concern.

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