JAPAN PERSPECTIVE

Tokyo, May 24, 2026. The Ebola epidemic ravaging eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 900 suspected cases, according to Congolese authorities. The Ituri province remains the primary outbreak zone, a surge officially designated by the World Health Organization as a public health emergency of international concern—a classification that demands a coordinated global response.

The spread across the border into neighboring Uganda commands particular attention from observers. Kampala has confirmed five cases since the virus was detected there on May 15, including three new cases recorded in a single day: an Ugandan driver, a healthcare worker, and a Congolese national. One death has been recorded in the country. This cross-border dynamic illustrates the difficulty of containing a virus that respects no borders in a region marked by high population mobility.

The Africa CDC has mapped risk that extends well beyond the immediate conflict zone. Jean Kaseya, director of the continental agency, identified ten countries at risk of infection: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia. He explicitly cited "high mobility and insecurity" in the region as accelerating factors. Three Red Crescent volunteers have also died in the DRC while carrying out outbreak response operations.

The health response faces considerable structural obstacles. Ebola treatment centers have been set on fire in two towns at the heart of the outbreak zone. These incidents occur within a context of deep community distrust, fueled by years of violence linked to dozens of armed groups—including M23 rebels backed by Rwanda, who control portions of territory—as well as disorganization of local authorities. The organization Doctors Without Borders termed the situation a "devastating convergence of emergencies."

Cuts in international aid further strain the fragile health system. Experts emphasize that these reductions have stripped vulnerable community health facilities of their minimal response capacity. Healthcare workers thus face double obstacles: the physical threat from armed groups and chronic resource shortages that undermine population trust in health institutions.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe hemorrhaging and multi-organ failure. In a region where population movement is massive and insecurity permanent, conditions for epidemic progression remain in place. The international community, led by the WHO, faces one of the most complex outbreak response contexts ever recorded for this disease.