DR Congo Ebola Deaths Rise to 131; WHO to Convene Emergency Committee
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern on the 19th over the Ebola epidemic raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The death toll in the country has reached 131, and the epidemic has spread to Uganda. In response, the WHO has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and will convene an emergency committee today. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has also declared an 'African public health emergency' to mobilize more resources.
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- 📰 Published: May 19, 2026 at 17:50
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World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today expressed his deep concern about the Ebola virus epidemic ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is believed that 131 people have died from the disease in the DRC, and the epidemic has spread to Uganda.
Speaking at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Tedros noted, "Early Sunday morning, I declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for the Ebola virus epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda... I did not make this decision lightly. I am deeply concerned about the scale and speed of this outbreak's spread."
Samuel-Roger Kamba, the Health Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, stated that the country's Ebola death toll is estimated to have risen to 131, with 513 suspected cases.
The World Health Organization will convene an emergency committee meeting today to discuss the deadly Ebola virus epidemic in the DRC. A WHO spokesperson told AFP, "The emergency committee will be convened later today."
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced last night that the Ebola virus epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda now constitutes an "African public health emergency."
The DRC has recorded 131 deaths and 513 suspected cases, while neighboring Uganda has one death.
The declaration will grant the Ethiopia-based Africa CDC the authority to mobilize more resources, including emergency response teams and surveillance operations.
"The Africa CDC is deeply concerned as the risk of regional spread is heightened by factors such as dense cross-border population movement, mobility related to mining activities, instability in the epidemic zone, weak infection prevention and control measures, and the proximity of the epidemic area to countries like Rwanda and South Sudan," the agency stated.
The agency also said it is working closely with the WHO to strengthen coordination mechanisms, which is a response system also established for the Mpox and cholera outbreaks.
## About the Ebola Virus
The Ebola virus is a member of the Filoviridae family. It has a long, peculiar structure, sometimes branched and sometimes curled.
There are currently five species in the Genus Ebolavirus: Bundibugyo, Zaire, Sudan, Reston, and Taï Forest, which differ in their antigenic and biological characteristics. Among them, the Bundibugyo, Zaire, and Sudan Ebola viruses have all caused several large-scale outbreaks in Africa. The virus strain that caused the massive West Africa epidemic in 2014 was the Zaire virus. The Reston Ebola virus has been found in the Philippines and China and can cause fatal hemorrhagic disease in non-human primates. Although there have been sporadic cases of human infection, they have all been clinically asymptomatic.
Ebola virus disease is a severe acute illness caused by the Ebola virus. To date, there have been no confirmed cases in Taiwan, where it is classified as a Category 5 Notifiable Communicable Disease.
Speaking at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Tedros noted, "Early Sunday morning, I declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for the Ebola virus epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda... I did not make this decision lightly. I am deeply concerned about the scale and speed of this outbreak's spread."
Samuel-Roger Kamba, the Health Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, stated that the country's Ebola death toll is estimated to have risen to 131, with 513 suspected cases.
The World Health Organization will convene an emergency committee meeting today to discuss the deadly Ebola virus epidemic in the DRC. A WHO spokesperson told AFP, "The emergency committee will be convened later today."
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced last night that the Ebola virus epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda now constitutes an "African public health emergency."
The DRC has recorded 131 deaths and 513 suspected cases, while neighboring Uganda has one death.
The declaration will grant the Ethiopia-based Africa CDC the authority to mobilize more resources, including emergency response teams and surveillance operations.
"The Africa CDC is deeply concerned as the risk of regional spread is heightened by factors such as dense cross-border population movement, mobility related to mining activities, instability in the epidemic zone, weak infection prevention and control measures, and the proximity of the epidemic area to countries like Rwanda and South Sudan," the agency stated.
The agency also said it is working closely with the WHO to strengthen coordination mechanisms, which is a response system also established for the Mpox and cholera outbreaks.
## About the Ebola Virus
The Ebola virus is a member of the Filoviridae family. It has a long, peculiar structure, sometimes branched and sometimes curled.
There are currently five species in the Genus Ebolavirus: Bundibugyo, Zaire, Sudan, Reston, and Taï Forest, which differ in their antigenic and biological characteristics. Among them, the Bundibugyo, Zaire, and Sudan Ebola viruses have all caused several large-scale outbreaks in Africa. The virus strain that caused the massive West Africa epidemic in 2014 was the Zaire virus. The Reston Ebola virus has been found in the Philippines and China and can cause fatal hemorrhagic disease in non-human primates. Although there have been sporadic cases of human infection, they have all been clinically asymptomatic.
Ebola virus disease is a severe acute illness caused by the Ebola virus. To date, there have been no confirmed cases in Taiwan, where it is classified as a Category 5 Notifiable Communicable Disease.