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Chris Dall, MA May 28, 2026
"As the number of cases in the Ebola outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to rise, neighboring Uganda has closed its border.
"The Ugandan Ministry of Health said on X that the border closure is temporary and that crossings will be authorized for outbreak response, humanitarian operations, food and cargo transportation, and security reasons.
“All authorized entrants shall be subjected to strict health screening, completion of locator forms, documentation, and continuous monitoring at all ports of entry in accordance with Ministry of Health surveillance protocols,” the post said.
"Anyone entering from DRC under other circumstances will be taken into mandatory isolation for 21 days.
"Uganda currently has eight confirmed cases of Ebola and one death in the outbreak, which is caused by the rarer Bundibugyo species, a variant that has no approved treatment or vaccine. According to data presented today by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), DRC has 1,077 suspected cases (129 confirmed) and 246 suspected deaths (18 confirmed). Global charity Save the Children reports that 25% of the 17 confirmed deaths have been in children.
"The outbreak began in DRC’s Ituri province, which is in the northeastern part of the country, bordering Uganda and South Sudan. Over 90% of cases have been reported in the province, which has been plagued by conflict between government forces and militia groups, resulting in displacement of millions of refugees. Although the outbreak was first reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 15, officials believe it began weeks earlier.
"It’s the 17th Ebola outbreak in DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976.
"WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said today in a message to people in Ituri that the agency is working closely with the DRC government to stop the outbreak and that he will be coming to Bunia, the capital of the province, in the next few days. He also urged warring parties in the region to declare a ceasefire.
“No cause, no conflict, no grievance is worth condemning innocent people to death from a preventable disease,” Tedros said. “A ceasefire, even a temporary one, would save lives. I urge you, I implore you: give us the space to help the people who need it most.”
Aid supplies arrive
"Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that aid supplies donated by the European Union were delivered today to Bunia, where health workers have been struggling to contain the spread of the virus with a limited supply of gloves, masks, boots, and medication. An official with UNICEF, which is helping deliver the supplies, said the aid is expected to arrive in batches over the next eight days.
"The Guardian reports that several doctors and nurses treating Ebola patients at healthcare facilities in DRC have died after contracting the virus. Healthcare workers and family members often face the greatest risk of infection with the virus, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids, because of their proximity to infected patients.
"The US State Department said today that it will allocate $80 million to partners on the ground—including UNICEF, the World Food Program, World Vision, and the International Organization for Migration—to scale up procurement and delivery of personal protective equipment and diagnostics, border screening and surveillance, and contract tracing.
"The State Department also said it has committed $50 million to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to fund up to 50 Ebola response clinics in the affected areas.
"But in a press conference today, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya, MD, MPH, said he’s concerned about international funding for the response after initial pledges of $500 million dropped to $290 million in a few days.
“We cannot afford to stop this outbreak without resources,” he said. Kaseya also called out travel restrictions imposed by some western countries. “It’s not acceptable.”
US quarantine unit in Kenya under fire
"US officials also confirmed today that Kenyan officials have agreed to a US plan to establish a quarantine unit in Kenya for Americans exposed to Ebola in the current outbreak, according to the Wall Street Journal. More than 30 US public health officers are on their way to Kenya to staff the 50-bed unit.
"The plan is being widely criticized by public health experts, who’ve argued that the United States already has specialized treatment centers specifically designed for Ebola and other deadly infectious diseases and that quickly setting up a high-quality clinic in Kenya will be impossible.
“Building and staffing a new unit in Kenya during an active outbreak for Americans exposed to Ebola is deeply concerning,” Infectious Diseases Society of America President Ronald Nahass, MD, said in a statement. “It raises serious questions about resources, timing and the level of care Americans sent there will receive.”
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