Wednesday, 24 June 2026, 13:00–14:00 (CEST)
Background
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is responding to its 17th Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. Bundibugyo virus disease has no licensed vaccine or specific treatment, which makes early detection, high-quality supportive care and safe, well-designed treatment facilities the most powerful tools for saving lives.
This webinar brings together WHO and national experts to focus on safe and scalable care. Speakers will give an update on the current situation and response, introduce WHO's newly released comprehensive clinical management guidelines for filovirus disease — and what early supportive care means in practice for improving survival — and show how treatment facilities are being designed and set up safely, drawing on WHO's Ebola and Marburg treatment-centre facility design and construction standards. The session connects new global guidance to real-world delivery in the field, and draws out practical lessons that other outbreak-affected countries and partners can apply.
Objectives
- Share the current operational picture of the 17th Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC, and how the response is being coordinated at field level.
- Present the newly released WHO clinical management guidelines for filovirus disease, and explain why early, standardized supportive care is the single most important determinant of survival in the absence of a Bundibugyo-specific vaccine or therapeutic.
- Demonstrate how treatment centres can be designed and scaled safely and humanely, drawing on the ongoing and past outbreaks
Tentative agenda with speakers and perspective
Introduction of EPI-WIN, housekeeping, introduction to topic and speakers and slido: EPI-WIN Science and Knowledge Translation, WHO
Welcome remarks and overview of WHO's newly released comprehensive clinical management guidelines for filovirus disease: Janet Diaz, Unit Head, Safe and Scalable Care (SCC), Humanitarian and Disaster Management (HDM), WHO Health Emergencies (WHE), WHO headquarters
Safe, scalable and humane treatment centre designs for Ebola BVD, Luca Fontana, Operations Support & Logistics, Health Emergency Alert & Response Operations, WHO headquarters
Panel discussion:
Richard Kojan (TBC), President, Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA)
Patrice Kabongo (TBC), Medical Expert Case management, WHO Country Office, Democratic Republic of Congo
Jamie Rylance, Case Management Expert, Safe and Scalable Care (SCC), HDM, WHE, WHO headquarters
Other panelists TBC
Q & A
Closing and next EPI-WIN: EPI-WIN Science and Knowledge Translation, WHO