IOM warns Ebola response must outpace cross-border virus spread

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is urging governments and partners to urgently strengthen cross-border coordination to contain the ongoing Bundibugyo virus disease (Ebola) outbreak, according to a press release issued on 2 June 2026 from Geneva and Ituri. The agency warned that border closures alone risk driving movement underground and increasing transmission risks. IOM emphasized that coordinated regional action is essential to keep mobility visible, safe and monitored. The appeal follows confirmation of cross-border transmission between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. Sustained preparedness, IOM noted, is critical to containing further spread.

This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC and the third largest on record. Latest World Health Organization (WHO) figures show 116 suspected cases, 321 confirmed cases, 48 deaths, and six recovered cases in the DRC. In Uganda, nine confirmed cases and one death have been reported to date. The outbreak is unfolding in one of the world’s most complex humanitarian contexts, with eastern DRC already affected by conflict and large-scale displacement. As of March 2026, 3.6 million people have been internally displaced in the country, including nearly 922,000 in Ituri Province, where the outbreak is centered.

IOM warned that reactive border closures can reduce visibility of population movements, undermining health screening, surveillance, contact tracing and early detection efforts. Evidence from previous health emergencies shows that movement restrictions do not stop mobility but often redirect it toward informal and less-monitored routes. Data from IOM’s Flow Monitoring Registry at key formal and informal crossing points—including Cyanika, Busunga, Bunagana, Mpondwe, Goli, Vurra, Busanza and Ntoroko—shows that cross-border mobility continues despite restrictions. Daily cross-border movement remains essential for trade, livelihoods and access to basic services. People in displacement sites, border communities and conflict-affected areas face heightened vulnerability due to limited access to healthcare and clean water.

“Viruses do not stop at borders, and neither should our response,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM Deputy Director General for Operations. “When borders close, people often continue moving through informal routes where health screening and surveillance are limited. The most effective response is coordinated action that keeps mobility visible, safe and monitored.”

IOM is supporting governments and partners in DRC, Uganda and neighbouring countries by strengthening border health operations, population mobility mapping, disease surveillance, risk communication and community engagement in high-mobility areas. Public health measures, the agency stressed, must be informed by mobility patterns and coordinated across borders.

Significant funding gaps continue to constrain the scale and speed of response efforts, including preparedness activities across the region. IOM welcomed the swift financial contribution from the United States, which is helping to strengthen frontline response efforts and save lives. Close coordination with the African Union, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, WHO and United Nations partners remains essential to containing the outbreak. While Ebola is a preventable and containable disease, additional resources are urgently needed to sustain surveillance systems and maintain border health operations. Further support is also required to strengthen community-based prevention efforts and expand assistance in displacement settings.