MONGBWALU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - MAY 26: Men work beside parked motorcycles outside a small roadside shop in Mongbwalu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, during ongoing Ebola prevention and response operations. Daily business activities and transportation services continued across the town despite heightened health measures, reflecting the economic pressures faced by residents during the outbreak period on May 26, 2026 in Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of Congo. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) are deploying rapid response teams to reinforce infection prevention protocols and safe burial practices. However, aid cuts have weakened frontline preparedness, and transmission is currently outpacing field containment capabilities. The current Ebola epidemic in the DRC is caused by the Bundibugyo virus for which there are no approved vaccines. The highest number of cases have been reported in Congo's eastern Ituri province, bordering Uganda. Global health officials have expressed grave concern over the capacity to contain the outbreak in a region already facing a humanitarian crisis, with highly mobile populations displaced by conflict and economic factors. (Photo by Michel Lunanga/Getty Images)