WHO updates clinical guidelines to combat Ebola outbreak in DRC
WHO updates clinical guidelines to combat Ebola outbreak in DRC
Updated at: June 22, 2026 at 11:30 AM
On June 17, 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced new clinical guidelines to tackle filovirus diseases, including Ebola and Marburg, amid an outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The guidelines offer 16 evidence-based recommendations, prioritizing early supportive care—such as rapid rehydration and shock management—as essential for patient survival, especially since no approved vaccines exist for this specific strain.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlights community mistrust as a major barrier, while insecurity, malnutrition, and population displacement complicate efforts.
With case fatality rates reaching up to 90%, these guidelines aim to standardize frontline care and improve survival, ensuring that health workers are better equipped to provide person-centered support in some of the most challenging environments on earth.
