Pakistan has ramped up health screening protocols at all major airports following the World Health Organisation’s declaration of an international health emergency over a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has claimed more than 80 lives.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal directed authorities to implement strict precautionary measures at airports nationwide to prevent any potential entry of the virus into Pakistan. The Ministry of National Health Services confirmed that while no Ebola case has ever been recorded in Pakistan or neighbouring countries, the government is taking proactive steps in line with WHO directives.
“The Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Health are continuously monitoring the situation in coordination with the WHO,” Kamal stated, emphasizing that Pakistan possesses diagnostic capacity for Ebola and has placed all provincial health departments and border services on high alert.
The outbreak, centered in the northeastern Ituri province of DR Congo near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan, has recorded nearly 1,028 suspected cases according to Congolese authorities. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in the region on Thursday to coordinate the international response, calling for greater community involvement and significantly more funding.
What makes this outbreak particularly alarming is the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola involved, for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists. The strain carries a fatality rate of approximately 40 to 50 percent, and health experts warn the outbreak is spreading at an unprecedented pace.
“Never before has an Ebola outbreak recorded so many cases so soon after its declaration,” said Alan Gonzalez, deputy director of operations for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the French medical aid organization working on the ground.
The situation has been complicated by violent attacks on healthcare facilities. At least three incidents have occurred in Ituri province, including two at Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital over a single weekend. In those attacks, more than two dozen Ebola patients fled after unidentified individuals burned isolation tents. One confirmed Ebola patient remains at large in the community.
Dr. Richard Lokodu, medical director of the hospital, explained that some community members deny the disease exists and want to claim bodies of suspected victims for traditional burials. Such unsafe burial practices, where family members handle highly infectious bodies without protective equipment, are a leading driver of Ebola transmission.
The outbreak has already crossed international borders. Uganda reported seven confirmed cases, including one death in the capital Kampala. A US citizen working in Congo has also tested positive and was transferred to Germany for treatment.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced that a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain should be ready by year’s end, with Russia’s Ministry of Health claiming to have already developed a candidate vaccine. However, experts caution that clinical trials and approval processes could take several months.
For Pakistan, the risk remains very low due to limited direct travel links with affected African nations. However, the government has advised travelers planning visits to African countries to review health guidelines carefully before departure. The ministry emphasized that no travel restrictions have been recommended but that surveillance and preparedness measures have been strengthened nationwide.
The WHO has upgraded the public health risk assessment to “very high” at the national level in DR Congo, while maintaining it at “high” regionally and “low” globally. Tedros warned that violence and insecurity in the affected region are significantly impeding response efforts.
This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo since the virus was first identified in 1976. The previous outbreak in the country, which ended in December 2025, killed at least 34 people. The deadliest outbreak on record occurred between 2018 and 2020, claiming nearly 2,300 lives.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals, who become contagious only after symptoms appear. The incubation period can last up to 21 days, with symptoms including fever, severe bleeding, vomiting, and organ failure.
Pakistani health authorities have assured the public that all necessary diagnostic and response capabilities are in place, and coordination with international health agencies remains strong as the situation continues to develop.
