The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern on May 17 due to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, warning of the potential for its spread to other countries and emphasising that the risk of regional spread remains high.

On June 5, the WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) launched a preparedness and response plan for the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak, a strain of the Ebola virus. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus estimated the plan's funding needs at approximately $518 million.