India’s Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Ebola-affected countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan, following concerns over the ongoing outbreak of the disease.

In an official statement, the ministry said the World Health Organization (WHO), under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, had on May 17, 2026, classified the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The advisory comes amid growing concerns over the spread of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus in parts of Africa.

WHO, Africa CDC Raise Global Concern

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has also declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS). According to WHO data, as of May 21, the DRC reported 746 suspected Ebola cases and 176 deaths among suspected cases.

WHO further stated that 85 confirmed cases, including two in Uganda, and ten confirmed deaths, including one in Uganda, have been recorded across the two countries. Countries bordering the DRC and Uganda, including South Sudan, are considered at high risk of transmission.

India Issues Precautionary Advisory

The WHO International Health Regulation Emergency Committee on May 22 recommended stronger disease surveillance at points of entry to identify travellers arriving with unexplained fever from affected regions. It also advised against travel to areas where the Bundibugyo virus has been detected.

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The Indian health ministry reiterated that no case of Ebola Disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain has been reported in India so far. However, Indian citizens currently residing in or travelling to the affected countries have been urged to strictly follow local public health guidelines and exercise heightened caution.