Long queues of trucks carrying perishable goods such as plantains and fish have been stranded at the border, with many traders fearing their products will spoil before reaching markets.

Ugandan authorities tightened restrictions after Congo’s Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province worsened. While emergency and humanitarian traffic is still allowed, cargo movement has slowed significantly.

Officials say the measures are necessary to stop cross-border transmission of Ebola. Uganda has already recorded 15 confirmed Ebola cases linked to the outbreak in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Local businesses around the busy Mpondwe Border Post have been hit hard, with traders reporting spoiled goods, reduced income, and growing uncertainty.

The World Health Organization has warned that neighboring countries face a high risk of infection but generally discourages border closures, emphasizing surveillance and health measures instead.

Authorities say further restrictions may be introduced if the outbreak continues to spread.

Nearly 600 children with suspected or confirmed measles have died since March, while hospitals across the country are struggling to cope with hundreds of new admissions each day. Medical facilities remain under severe pressure as doctors attempt to isolate infected patients and prevent further transmission.

Health experts fear large-scale population movement during the Eid holidays could accelerate the spread of the highly contagious disease, particularly in rural areas with limited access to healthcare services.

The outbreak has overwhelmed pediatric wards in several hospitals, prompting renewed calls for expanded vaccination efforts and stronger public health measures to contain the crisis.

Speaking at the opening of the facility in Ituri province, Tedros said four patients would be discharged on Sunday, while another had left care two days earlier, highlighting signs of progress in combating the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare variant for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment currently exists.

“Of course, we’re still working on vaccines and treatments but that doesn’t mean that people cannot recover from Ebola,” Tedros said.

The announcement follows confirmation by the WHO on Friday of the first documented recovery of a patient infected with the Bundibugyo virus during the current outbreak, a development health officials hope will encourage infected individuals to seek medical attention sooner.

According to the latest official figures released by the WHO, the outbreak has generated 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths in Congo. The disease has also crossed borders, with neighboring Uganda reporting nine confirmed cases and one death, according to the Ugandan Health Ministry.

Despite the opening of new facilities and the arrival of additional international assistance, humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, warned on Saturday that the virus continues to outpace containment efforts. The group called for expanded testing capacity, faster deployment of health personnel and uninterrupted access for medical supplies.

Health authorities have faced growing operational challenges as some local communities resist strict disease-control measures, particularly protocols governing the handling and burial of Ebola victims. Officials say at least three attacks have been carried out against health centers during the outbreak.

Tedros emphasized the importance of community cooperation, urging residents to seek treatment immediately after symptoms appear and to participate actively in containment efforts.

“If you come to health facilities when you have symptoms, you can get the support and recover,” he said, adding that early intervention remains critical to improving survival rates.

Security concerns have further complicated the response. In Ituri, attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces, an armed group linked to Daesh, along with violence involving ethnic militias, have limited access to some affected communities and disrupted medical operations.

The outbreak has also been reported in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels control several strategic urban centers, including Goma and Bukavu. The rebel movement has reported two Ebola cases in areas under its control.

Congolese health officials sought to reassure residents that the outbreak can be contained. Pierre Akilimali, incident manager at the National Institute of Public Health, said symptomatic treatment was producing encouraging results and helping patients recover.

Medical staff at the new treatment center echoed that assessment. Davin Ambitapio, a physician involved in the response, said healthcare workers remained optimistic that coordinated efforts by national authorities and international partners would eventually bring the outbreak under control.

The Bundibugyo strain was first identified in Uganda in 2007 and is one of several known Ebola virus species capable of causing severe hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in humans.

Australian health authorities are intensifying efforts to contain a growing diphtheria outbreak affecting remote Indigenous communities after concerns emerged that delayed intervention and strained local health services could allow further spread of the disease.

The outbreak has been concentrated largely in northern and remote regions, particularly in Western Australia’s Kimberley area, where health workers say overcrowded housing, population movement between communities and limited healthcare resources have heightened transmission risks. While official case numbers remain relatively small, frontline providers warn the true scale of infections may be higher than reported.

Many affected communities face longstanding structural challenges that complicate disease control efforts. Families frequently travel between remote settlements to access food, supplies and essential services, creating additional opportunities for transmission.

Health officials have also reported that more than one-third of confirmed cases have occurred among children and teenagers, raising concerns about broader community spread.In Halls Creek, one of the Kimberley communities reporting cases, local healthcare workers say the outbreak is placing additional pressure on already stretched services.

According to community health leaders, the task extends beyond clinical treatment to ensuring public health information is delivered in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways.

The challenge is particularly significant in a region where approximately 43% of Indigenous households speak traditional languages at home. Public health campaigns, vaccination outreach and contact-tracing efforts must therefore be tailored to multiple linguistic and cultural contexts.Local health workers say uncertainty over future funding arrangements has added to operational pressures.

Funding provided during the Covid-19 pandemic supported dedicated vaccination roles that proved critical in delivering immunisation programs and public health messaging. Questions remain over whether similar resources will continue as authorities respond to the diphtheria outbreak.

Healthcare providers in affected communities warn that public awareness remains limited because diphtheria has been largely absent from Australia for decades. The disease was effectively controlled through widespread vaccination, meaning many younger residents and even some healthcare workers have little direct experience recognising symptoms or responding to outbreaks.

Community leaders say the lack of familiarity has complicated efforts to encourage vigilance and early treatment. While local health services have increased awareness campaigns, some fear valuable time may have been lost before the seriousness of the outbreak became widely recognised.

Further east, Indigenous health organisations in Queensland have moved to strengthen preparedness measures. In the Aboriginal community of Yarrabah, healthcare providers have launched public information campaigns aimed at increasing vaccination coverage after immunisation rates declined slightly following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Health officials say vaccination levels in the community had previously exceeded 95% before experiencing a modest decline. Recent efforts have helped reverse that trend, although healthcare providers describe the recovery as an ongoing challenge requiring sustained community engagement.

Medical services in Yarrabah have remained closely integrated with broader regional public health responses led by Queensland authorities. Local healthcare leaders say public health capabilities developed during the Covid-19 pandemic have improved the community’s ability to respond to infectious disease threats, allowing greater local control over prevention measures, health messaging and vaccination campaigns.

Concerns about the pace of the national response emerged earlier this year when Indigenous health organisations sought additional federal support to address the outbreak. In April, a coalition involving public health bodies, the Australian Centre for Disease Control and senior health officials submitted a funding request aimed at strengthening outbreak management efforts.

By mid-May, however, community health advocates were expressing frustration that additional support had yet to be announced. At the same time, concerns intensified after reports that the Northern Territory had recorded its first diphtheria-related death in more than a decade.Authorities have stressed that the circumstances surrounding the death remain under investigation.

NT Health is awaiting autopsy findings and a coroner’s assessment to determine whether the individual died from diphtheria or died while infected with the disease.Public health specialists argued that delays in funding and community outreach risked allowing the outbreak to gain momentum.

Infectious disease experts frequently emphasize the importance of rapid intervention during outbreaks, particularly in remote settings where healthcare access may be limited and living conditions can facilitate transmission.

The federal government announced a significant escalation of support on Thursday, unveiling a A$7.2 million package designed to strengthen containment efforts. The funding will support the deployment of surge health workers, expansion of vaccination programs and procurement of additional vaccines and antibiotics.

Health leaders involved in the response welcomed the package, describing it as larger than originally requested and likely to substantially improve outbreak management capacity across affected regions.While praising the funding commitment, some public health experts have questioned whether intervention should have occurred earlier.

They argue that part of the delay may have stemmed from the nature of the initial cases, many of which involved cutaneous diphtheria rather than the more widely recognised respiratory form of the disease.Cutaneous diphtheria affects the skin and is generally less severe than respiratory infections. Although it is rarely life-threatening, it can cause chronic skin ulcers and secondary infections if left untreated.

Importantly, health authorities note that bacteria from skin lesions can contribute to transmission and potentially lead to respiratory disease in other individuals.The distinction may have reduced the perceived urgency of the outbreak during its early stages.

Public health experts now stress that prompt diagnosis, antibiotic treatment and contact tracing remain essential regardless of whether cases initially present as skin infections or respiratory illness.Vaccination remains the central pillar of the response strategy.

According to health officials, vaccination coverage among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children remains relatively high, with rates for five-year-olds standing at 94.33%. However, experts say maintaining community protection will require stronger uptake of booster vaccinations among adults.Health leaders believe improved booster coverage, combined with more effective contact tracing and rapid antibiotic treatment, can eventually bring the outbreak under control.

They also argue that future responses to communicable disease threats in Indigenous communities should involve Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations from the earliest stages of planning and intervention.

The outbreak has renewed broader discussions about healthcare access, public health preparedness and the challenges of delivering disease control measures across some of Australia’s most remote Indigenous communities.

The attack occurred in Rwampara, near the epicenter of the outbreak in Ituri Province, where local youths stormed and burned parts of a treatment facility after a man believed to have died from Ebola was denied a traditional funeral, according to witnesses and police officials.

Authorities said the confrontation stemmed from public resistance to emergency burial protocols designed to prevent transmission of the highly contagious virus.

Under outbreak regulations, suspected Ebola victims must be buried by trained teams because bodies can remain infectious and contribute to further spread.Deputy Senior Commissioner Jean Claude Mukendi, head of public security in Ituri Province, said relatives and friends of the deceased attempted to take the body home despite official restrictions. Police intervened but were unable to prevent the unrest.

Witnesses reported that aid workers evacuated the facility as protesters entered the center and set fire to equipment and structures. Humanitarian organization ALIMA, which operates at the site, later said calm had been restored and medical teams had resumed their work.

The incident highlights the growing challenges facing Congolese authorities and international aid agencies as they confront an outbreak that the World Health Organization has designated a public health emergency of international concern.Health officials reported 671 suspected cases and 160 suspected deaths across two provinces as of Thursday.

The outbreak has also crossed borders, with neighboring Uganda reporting cases, including at least one death.The WHO and regional health authorities have warned that the true scale of the outbreak is likely significantly larger than official figures indicate. Surveillance efforts are continuing as investigators seek to identify additional infections and trace transmission chains.

The outbreak is centered in Ituri Province, a region affected by chronic insecurity, weak healthcare infrastructure and large-scale population displacement. More than 920,000 internally displaced people are living in the province, according to United Nations estimates, complicating disease surveillance and response efforts.

Health experts say the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the outbreak presents additional challenges because no approved vaccine or specific treatment is currently available. Officials estimate it could take at least six to nine months before a vaccine becomes available.The virus has now spread beyond Ituri and North Kivu provinces.

On Thursday, authorities reported the first confirmed cases in South Kivu Province, including a death near the city of Bukavu, approximately 500 kilometers south of the outbreak’s center.The disease circulated undetected for weeks after the first known fatality in late April, partly because initial investigations focused on more common Ebola strains previously seen in the country.

Health authorities have yet to identify the outbreak’s first infected patient.The escalating crisis has begun to affect international travel and regional events. India and the African Union announced the postponement of the India-Africa Forum Summit scheduled for next week in New Delhi, citing the evolving health situation in parts of Africa.

The United States has also imposed screening measures and travel restrictions for individuals recently arriving from affected countries.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and severe hemorrhagic symptoms.

Public health officials say rapid detection, isolation and community cooperation remain critical to containing the outbreak.

Officials said the virus likely circulated undetected for weeks because initial testing focused on more common Ebola strains. No approved vaccine currently exists for the Bundibugyo variant, with WHO estimating any targeted vaccine could take six to nine months to develop.

The outbreak is unfolding in conflict-hit areas of eastern Congo, where insecurity, population displacement and weak health infrastructure are complicating containment efforts.

The campaign, led by the health ministry with support from UNICEF, the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has been rolled out across 18 high-risk districts, according to a joint statement.

Government data shows 17 confirmed deaths linked to measles so far, alongside 113 suspected fatalities and more than 7,500 suspected infections across the country. The outbreak has now spread to 56 of Bangladesh’s 64 districts, raising concerns over further transmission.

Authorities said the vaccination drive is prioritising children aged between six months and five years, particularly those who missed routine immunisation and are at higher risk of severe complications. Health officials described the campaign as a critical intervention to address immunity gaps exposed by the surge in infections.

UNICEF representative Rana Flowers said the agency was alarmed by the sharp rise in cases, warning that thousands of children, especially the youngest and most vulnerable, face heightened risk.

She said the resurgence underscored significant gaps in population immunity.Hospitals in several high-burden areas are operating beyond capacity, with limited resources to manage the influx of patients, officials said, adding to concerns about the outbreak’s trajectory.

The World Health Organization said the outbreak is likely to continue spreading in the coming days but could be brought under control following the large-scale vaccination effort. WHO representative Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed said the campaign would be key to preventing further child deaths.

Officials said the emergency drive is intended to complement existing routine immunisation programmes as authorities work to contain the outbreak and stabilise public health conditions.