A World Health Organization Representative in Ituri province has indicated that six tons of medical supplies are expected to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo as efforts intensify to contain a fast-moving Ebola outbreak that has already killed at least 131 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Anne Ancia, WHO Representative in Ituri province, confirmed that the shipment includes personal protective equipment and other essential medical materials for frontline health workers.

“We have sent 12 tons of supply. An additional six are arriving today. These include personal protective equipment for frontline health workers (and) samples.”
Anne Ancia

She added that WHO teams are scaling up surveillance, testing and contact tracing, amid what she described as “great uncertainty as to the scale and extent of this outbreak.”

This move comes as health authorities express concern that the Ebola outbreak, centred in DR Congo’s Ituri province, may be spreading more widely than initially understood. Health officials reported more than 513 suspected cases, alongside a confirmed death in neighbouring Uganda, raising fears of cross-border transmission.

Further analysis by the London-based MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis suggested that under-detection may be significant, estimating that actual infections could already exceed 1,000 cases.

The Red Cross has also warned that Ebola might spread quickly if cases are not recognised early due to a lack of information in communities and overworked health systems.

Ancia indicated that continued investigations are revealing a wider geographical spread, noting that cases have now been detected beyond Ituri, including in South Kivu province and in Goma, eastern DR Congo’s largest city.

The region’s ongoing insecurity and high population movement are complicating response efforts, with health teams struggling to trace contacts and limit transmission.

Neighbouring countries have begun tightening border controls, with Rwanda closing its border with DR Congo as a precautionary measure. Several states are also increasing screening at points of entry and preparing health systems for potential imported cases.

International support is also being mobilised, with reports confirming the evacuation of foreign nationals exposed to the virus, including an American citizen undergoing treatment abroad.

WHO Issues Urgent Response Guidance as Ebola Outbreak Spreads in DRC and Uganda

Earlier, the World Health Organization issued wide-ranging operational guidance for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as both countries grapple with a growing Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, now classified as a public health emergency of international concern.

The UN health agency called on both governments to activate national disaster and emergency management systems and establish fully coordinated emergency operations centres under the authority of national leadership. These centres are expected to oversee surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention, laboratory testing and clinical care, while ensuring coordination at both national and subnational levels in affected and high-risk areas.

Where national systems are overstretched, WHO indicates that international partners should be engaged to reinforce response capacity and prevent further spread across borders.

Moreover, major emphasis is also placed on community engagement, with the WHO urging authorities to work closely with local leaders, religious figures and traditional healers.

Health systems are also instructed to scale up surveillance and laboratory capacity through dedicated response units, expanded community monitoring and decentralised testing facilities capable of detecting Bundibugyo virus cases more rapidly.

In healthcare settings, the WHO stresses the need to strengthen infection prevention and control measures, including improved hospital mapping, patient triage and sustained monitoring. Health workers are to receive enhanced training on protective protocols, alongside adequate equipment and hazard protection to reduce the risk of hospital-based transmission.

WHO further recommends the establishment of specialised treatment centres near outbreak zones to ensure safe isolation and improved clinical management of patients, supported by trained medical personnel and intensive care systems.

WHO also calls for accelerated clinical trials for potential therapeutics and vaccines, noting the absence of a widely approved treatment for the Bundibugyo strain.

Strict border health measures are also outlined, including screening at key entry points and restrictions on movement for confirmed, suspected and high-risk contacts. The organisation specifies that confirmed cases should remain isolated until two negative tests are obtained, while contacts should be monitored for 21 days with travel restrictions in place.

UN Health Agency further advised to postpone mass gatherings where necessary, strengthen exit screening at airports and land borders, and ensure safe and dignified burial practices conducted by trained personnel to limit further transmission risks.