Red Cross Volunteers Die in DR Congo Amid Ebola Outbreak

The Red Cross announced on Saturday the deaths of three volunteers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, believed to have contracted Ebola while performing their duties in March. The outbreak in this central African nation and nearby Uganda has been declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organization.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) identified the volunteers as part of the DR Congo Red Cross in Ituri. This northeastern province is the epicenter of the outbreak. The volunteers, who operated through the Mongbwalu branch in Djugu territory, Ituri, were involved in humanitarian missions not initially related to Ebola.

Alikana Udumusi Augustin, Sezabo Katanabo, and Ajiko Chandiru Viviane are believed to have contracted the Ebola virus on duty, while carrying out dead body management activities on March 27, the IFRC stated.

At the time of their intervention, the community was unaware of the Ebola outbreak. The volunteers are among the first reported victims of the current outbreak.

An image from May 20, 2026, captured a patient preparing for a blood test at the General Referral Hospital of Mongbwalu as part of the Ebola response effort in Ituri province. The IFRC reported the deaths occurred on May 5, 15, and 16.

The Geneva-based IFRC praised the volunteers, noting their courage and humanitarian spirit in serving their communities. The organization emphasized the dedication of Red Cross volunteers worldwide, working in high-risk environments to aid vulnerable populations.

The IFRC, with over 17 million volunteers across 191 countries, remains committed to supporting communities affected by Ebola while enhancing its outbreak response efforts.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has extended the list of high-risk countries to include Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia. In Uganda, three new Ebola cases were reported, raising the country’s total to five. These cases involve a Ugandan driver who transported the first confirmed case, a health worker exposed during treatment, and a Congolese woman with mild symptoms who entered Uganda.

The WHO reported 82 confirmed cases and seven deaths in Congo, alongside nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths.

Dr. Craig Spencer, an emergency room physician and public health expert at Brown University, expressed concern for healthcare workers involved in the outbreak. Dr. Spencer personally survived Ebola in 2014 after working with Doctors Without Borders in Guinea.

Healthcare workers are the group that I’m really concerned about because they had very close contact with people when they’re most contagious, particularly around the time of folks’ death, Spencer said.

Ebola, a severe viral disease, spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, causing significant bleeding and organ failure. The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus strain, which lacks an approved vaccine or treatment options.

The WHO has escalated Congo’s risk assessment from high to very high while maintaining the regional risk level at high and global risk level at low.