A staff member of the CBCA Virunga Hospital checks a visitor’s temperature using a a contactless infrared thermometer, before allowing her access to the hospital in Goma on May 17, 2026. A first case of Ebola virus infection has been reported in Goma, a major city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo controlled by the M23 armed group, with the WHO declaring an international health alert on Sunday.

According to figures released Saturday by the African Union’s health agency (Africa CDC), 88 deaths likely caused by the virus have been recorded, out of 336 suspected cases. One death has been reported in neighboring Uganda. As the epicenter of the outbreak is located in a hard-to-reach area, few samples have been tested in laboratories and the figures are based largely on suspected cases. (Photo by Jospin Mwisha / AFP)

…May cost African economies up to $3.6 billionBy Chioma Obinna

A new United Nations assessment has raised alarm that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could unleash a devastating socioeconomic crisis far beyond infections, pushing an estimated 985,000 more people into poverty and triggering up to 2,520 excess infant deaths from disrupted healthcare services.