A new Ebola outbreak is sweeping through the Democratic Republic of Congo, with at least 80 suspected deaths and 246 suspected cases reported in Ituri province as of May 16. The World Health Organization has confirmed eight laboratory cases, with reports of an infection reaching the rebel-held city of Goma, a population hub of one million.
Authorities believe the outbreak is centered on Bunia, capital of Ituri, and has now spread to North Kivu. Cases have also been detected in Kinshasa and Uganda, where two infected individuals are in intensive care. The WHO has deployed 42 health professionals, but warns the outbreak is likely larger than official figures suggest, citing clusters of unexplained deaths and a high positivity rate among tests.
This is a different strain-Bundibugyo virus-for which there is no approved vaccine or therapy. Adding to the crisis, at least four healthcare workers have died, raising alarms about infection controls in health facilities.
Meanwhile, the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, co-established by the WHO and the World Bank, issued a new report warning that the world is "not safer from pandemics." Disease outbreaks are becoming more frequent and more damaging, with cascading health, economic, and social impacts. The board also cautioned that without proper safeguards, artificial intelligence could widen healthcare access gaps rather than close them.