Ebola Declared Public Health Emergency, Direct Relief Mobilizes Aid

The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern as the number of suspected cases and deaths continues to rise across eastern Congo. Regional health authorities have reported 393 cases and 105 deaths in Ituri Province suspected to be linked to the Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccines exist.

In its emergency declaration, WHO warned there are "significant uncertainties" surrounding the outbreak's true scale and geographic spread, raising the possibility that transmission may be more extensive than current surveillance data indicates.

The outbreak, centered in northeastern DRC's Ituri Province, has increased fears of wider regional spread in an area marked by frequent population movement, trade, and displacement across the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan.

On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that public health travel restrictions were being put in place to limit entry from people who may have been exposed to the virus. An American doctor was confirmed Monday to have contracted the virus while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia, DRC.

Direct Relief is mobilizing medical aid for the DRC in coordination with Jericho Road Wellness Clinic in Goma, which has experience operating during prior Ebola emergencies in the region. Planned shipments include personal protective equipment and other supplies for clinics and displacement camps facing elevated outbreak risk.

Direct Relief has also offered support to the International Organization for Migration for Ebola preparedness and response activities in DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan. The organization continues coordinating with Africa CDC and regional partners to monitor evolving needs and response gaps as the outbreak continues.

Direct Relief has responded to multiple previous Ebola outbreaks across Africa, including the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, during which the organization provided more than 420 tons of medicines and personal protective equipment to help protect frontline healthcare workers.