STORY: Democratic Republic of Congo’s health minister travelled to Bunia on Sunday (May 17) as authorities and aid agencies intensified efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak in the eastern province of Ituri.

The outbreak, officially declared on Friday (May 15), involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rarer variant for which there is currently no approved vaccine.

In Ituri, treatment centres are being prepared and dozens of patients are already receiving care.

Authorities said suspected cases have been identified in Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu, while health officials are racing to isolate patients, trace contacts and prevent further spread in a region weakened by insecurity and limited healthcare infrastructure.

Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said the government had moved quickly after laboratory confirmation of the outbreak earlier this week, deploying response teams and emergency resources to Ituri.

He said authorities had already selected treatment sites in Rwampara, Mongbwalu and Bunia, where tents were being installed to expand care capacity.

“We have 59 patients who are actively being treated at the moment,” Kamba said, adding that around 350 suspected cases were under investigation. He urged residents with symptoms to seek treatment quickly, saying Ebola was “not a mystical disease” and stressing that treatment was free.

The World Health Organization and the World Food Programme had already flown in five tonnes of emergency supplies, including masks, gloves, chlorine and isolation equipment to protect both health workers and patients.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Congo deploys emergency Ebola response teams to outbreak zone in Ituri

VIDEO SHOWS: DRC HEALTH MINISTER, DR. SAMUEL ROGER KAMBA, ARRIVING AT BUNIA PROVINCIAL LABORATORY / KAMBA MEETING HEALTH TEAM IN FRONT OF LABORATORY / SOUNDBITES FROM DRC HEALTH MINISTER AND WHO COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE IN DRC

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: BUNIA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (MAY 17, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. DRC HEALTH MINISTER, SAMUEL ROGER KAMBA, ARRIVING AT BUNIA PROVINCIAL LABORATORY

2. KAMBA MEETING HEALTH TEAM IN FRONT OF LABORATORY

3. (SOUNDBITE) (French) DRC HEALTH MINISTER, DR. SAMUEL ROGER KAMBA, SAYING:

"We have already deployed the response and today we have come to complete this deployment of the response with, in particular, material resources and also human resources from the public health emergency operations centre."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE) (French) DRC HEALTH MINISTER, DR. SAMUEL ROGER KAMBA, SAYING:

"The governor has already helped us on this by choosing the sites. The sites are already chosen: Rampana and then Mungwalu, and then here in Bunia, the sites are already chosen. And this morning, we brought, precisely, all the tents to set up the treatment centre. We are... we are... we know that the hospitals are already under strain because of the patients. I would like to inform the population here that we have 59 patients who are actively being treated at the moment."

6. KAMBA MEETING MORE HEALTH LABORATORY TEAM IN FRONT OF LABORATORY

7. (SOUNDBITE) (French) DRC HEALTH MINISTER, DR. SAMUEL ROGER KAMBA, SAYING:

"The sooner we take the patient in for care, the sooner we treat them, the sooner we will stop the movement, what we call the spread of the virus. So this is not a mystical disease, make yourself known, make yourself known so that you can be taken care of and so that we can prevent the disease from spreading. That is really the message, treatment is free, come and get treated."

8. KAMBA BRIEFING LAB TEAM

9. (SOUNDBITE) (French) WHO COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE IN DRC, DR. ANNE ANCIA, SAYING:

"This equipment will certainly not be enough. What we have done is the first response. We have emptied our stock from Kinshasa and brought it here. We are preparing a C-130 cargo plane, which is already in Nairobi at the moment, which is loading at our depot in Nairobi, which will then leave for Kinshasa and which will bring additional equipment."

10. EXTERIOR OF ITURI PROVINCIAL PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY