Ebola surge: Uganda cases rise as Congo crisis deepens over insecurity

The Ebola epidemic in Central Africa has taken a deeply worrisome turn, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) battling escalating violence that is strangling containment efforts, while neighboring Uganda reports a sudden rise in confirmed infections.

Uganda’s Outbreak Expands

In a stark contrast to earlier reports of stability, Uganda’s Ministry of Health announced on May 23, 2026, that three new cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) have been confirmed, bringing the country’s total to five.

The new cases highlight the critical risks faced by frontline workers and the challenges of the cross-border transmission.

According to Prof. Charles Olaro, the Director General of Health Services, the new infections include a Ugandan driver who transported the country’s first
confirmed case and a Ugandan health worker exposed while treating that initial patient.

Both were known contacts under surveillance and are currently receiving treatment. The third new case involves a Congolese woman who entered Uganda presenting mild abdominal symptoms.

She took a chartered flight from Arua to Entebbe and sought care at a private hospital in Kampala on May 10. After being discharged in good condition on May 14, she returned to the DRC.
A crucial tip-off from the pilot who airlifted her prompted surveillance teams to track down a sample, subsequently tested positive for Ebola.

Ugandan health officials have since identified and are closely monitoring all contacts linked to these cases.

The Epicenter Under Pressure

While Uganda works to contain its growing cluster, the crisis in the DRC remains the volatile epicenter of the outbreak.
Official figures currently report 82 confirmed cases and seven confirmed deaths, but health officials warn these numbers likely mask a massive underlying surge.

There are nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, primarily centered in Ituri Province.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that escalating violence and insecurity are now the primary obstacles to containing the virus.
Persistent regional conflict is preventing health teams from reaching high-risk
areas, creating severe surveillance gaps that obscure the true geographic spread of the disease.

Furthermore, transmission within health facilities is a mounting concern in the DRC, with at least four healthcare workers already counted among the casualties.

A Global Health Emergency

The international dimension of the outbreak is also expanding. An American national who contracted the virus while working in the DRC has been transferred to Germany for specialized care.
While another American identified as a high-risk contact was moved to the
Czech Republic for monitoring.

Following the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17, the WHO is urging immediate international cooperation.

The global health body emphasizes that while the emergency declaration set the framework for action, the immediate focus must be on overcoming security barriers impeding the response.

Lifesaving control measures—including contact tracing and community engagement—must be scaled up to reach even most volatile regions before the outbreak spirals further out of.control.