The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stepped up assistance to help the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the north-eastern province of Ituri.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the UN health agency said over 35 experts and emergency responders from WHO and the country’s Ministry of Health had already been deployed to affected areas.
WHO said it had quickly expanded emergency measures aimed at stopping the spread of the disease and strengthening response operations on the ground.
After the outbreak was officially declared on May 15, the organisation delivered about 11.5 tonnes of emergency medical supplies and equipment within three days.
The materials were transported from facilities in Kinshasa, as well as WHO emergency hubs located in Dakar and Nairobi.
According to the agency, more response teams are being mobilised to strengthen surveillance, improve clinical care, enhance infection prevention and control measures, and support community awareness efforts.
WHO noted that cooperation with humanitarian partners and private sector organisations played a major role in ensuring the swift delivery of the supplies.
The United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) was also credited with providing air transport assistance from Nairobi and improving ground access for emergency teams.
Adama Thiam, Head of Regional Emergency Operations and Logistics at WHO Africa, said the support from MONUSCO had greatly improved the speed and effectiveness of the response effort.
He added that arrangements with Ethiopian Airlines also helped fast-track the transportation of critical cargo to the affected region.
The delivered supplies included personal protective equipment, medical kits, tents, and water, sanitation and hygiene materials needed to contain infections and care for patients.
WHO disclosed that more emergency materials are already on the way from Kinshasa to further strengthen containment efforts and support frontline responders.
The agency warned that the outbreak is occurring in a challenging environment marked by insecurity, population movement, cross-border activities, mining operations, and the presence of large refugee populations.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has classified the outbreak, caused by the Ebola Bundibugyo virus, as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, calling for stronger global cooperation.
The organisation noted that there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
It explained that response efforts would depend largely on early detection, supportive treatment, strict infection control, contact tracing, safe burials, and active community participation.
WHO also stated that this is the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the disease was first identified in 1976, while the country’s last outbreak ended in December 2025.