Employees wearing protective clothing care for a patient in an isolation ward at an Ebola treatment center in Monigi in eastern the Democratic Republic of Congo on June 2, 2026. During the current outbreak of the Bundibugyo variant, more than 300 Ebola cases have already been confirmed. Credit: Daniel Buuma/Getty Images
While a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship made headlines worldwide, a much more serious health crisis is developing in parts of Africa. In an interview, epidemiologist Professor Oliver Razum explains why the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is particularly worrying, what role weak health systems and international inequalities play, and why global attention is often unevenly distributed. It also discusses vaccine challenges, the importance of international cooperation and the question of whether the world has really learned the right lessons from the Covid pandemic.
While a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship made headlines worldwide, a much more serious health crisis is developing in parts of Africa. In an interview, epidemiologist Professor Oliver Razum explains why the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is particularly worrying, what role weak health systems and international inequalities play, and why global attention is often unevenly distributed. It also discusses vaccine challenges, the importance of international cooperation and the question of whether the world has really learned the right lessons from the Covid pandemic.
