The World Health Organization (WHO) has upgraded the public health risk level of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from “high” to “very high” at the national level, as the virus continues to spread quickly in parts of the country.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the change on Friday, May 22, warning that the situation had worsened significantly. “The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading rapidly,” he said. “We are now revising our risk assessment to very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at the global level.”
The WHO currently reports 82 confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC, including seven confirmed deaths. However, Tedros cautioned that the actual outbreak is likely far larger.
“We know the epidemic in the DRC is much larger. There are now almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths,” he added.
He also noted that the situation in neighbouring Uganda remains stable, despite two confirmed imported cases linked to travellers from the DRC, one of which resulted in a death.
According to the WHO, insecurity and ongoing violence in affected regions are severely hindering containment efforts. In Ituri province, the outbreak’s epicentre, rioters reportedly stormed Rwampara hospital and set fire to tents used to isolate Ebola patients.
The unrest followed the death of a 24-year-old man believed to be the son of a soldier. Hospital staff said his family demanded his body for burial, but officials refused due to strict infection-control protocols.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, prompting health authorities to enforce tight burial procedures to prevent further transmission. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
As a result, health responders are relying on isolation, contact tracing, and safe burial practices to contain the spread. However, local customs around mourning are complicating efforts. Civil society leader Jean Marie Ezadri said traditional practices were fueling infections.
“Loved ones are throwing themselves at the bodies, touching the corpses and clothing of the deceased, while holding large funeral gatherings,” he said. “Unfortunately, this is still happening during the outbreak, which explains many cases of contamination.”
Mistrust has also grown in some communities, with some residents denying the existence of Ebola. After one death, 22-year-old Jeremie Arwampara said, “My brother did not die from Ebola; it’s an imaginary disease.”
At the hospital, tensions escalated as mourners demanded the release of bodies. “Why are they refusing to give us the bodies? He’s my big brother, I cannot be afraid of him,” shouted Ezekiel Shambuyi. Security forces later dispersed the crowd after firing warning shots, and a nurse was injured by stones during the chaos.
Health workers in full protective gear later escorted three coffins to a cemetery under armed protection. One mourner, Musa Amuri, expressed grief over not being allowed a traditional farewell. “They are burying our father without us seeing him. It breaks my heart,” he said.
Another resident, Maman Leonie, also rejected the Ebola diagnosis after her brother’s death, calling for government intervention.
The outbreak has highlighted ongoing weaknesses in healthcare infrastructure in rural Ituri, where residents report limited medical services and persistent insecurity. Officials in Mongbwalu said awareness is improving, but warned that hospitals remain dangerously unprepared, with suspected Ebola cases sometimes mixed with other patients, increasing the risk of further transmission.
