Urgent Media Briefing – Ebola in DRC
MEDIA ALERT
Urgent Global Virus Network Media Briefing:
Ebola in the DRC – Frontline and Global Experts Provide Updates & Answer Questions on the Outbreak, Risks, and Response
For accredited media and journalists only. Advance registration required by 10:00 a.m. GMT/UTC Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Time: 8:00–9:00 a.m. EDT / 12:00–1:00 p.m. GMT / 1:00–2:00 p.m. BST (Kinshasa) / 2:00–3:00 p.m. CEST / 2:00–3:00 p.m. SAST
Format: Virtual media briefing with live Q&A
Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0Sp3CHZtTk6ZwF4HhKnLRA
Advance questions may be submitted during registration.
Event Overview
The Global Virus Network (GVN) will bring together experts from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa CDC, and its international network of virologists for a virtual media briefing on the evolving Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
As response efforts continue, important questions remain regarding outbreak detection, diagnostics, containment strategies, healthcare worker protection, regional preparedness, and implications for global health security.
Several participating experts are currently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo supporting response efforts and will provide firsthand perspectives on the evolving situation and operational challenges on the ground.
Journalists will have access to leading experts in virology, infectious diseases, outbreak response, and public health during a live question-and-answer session.
Confirmed Participants Include:
Professor Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD (Moderator)
Vice Chair, Board of Directors, Global Virus Network
Director, University of South Florida Microbiomes Institute
Former President, Institut Pasteur
Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum, MD, PhD
Director General, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Democratic Republic of the Congo
2026 Virchow Prize Laureate who helped identify Ebola virus disease during the first known outbreak in 1976 and later co-invented the Ebola treatment mAb114 (Ebanga).
Professor Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD
Director (acting), Epidemic and Pandemic Department, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization
Professor Yap Boum II, PhD, MPH, MBA
Head, Emergency Preparedness and Response Division, Africa CDC
Joining from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Professor Salim S. Abdool Karim, MBChB, PhD
Yusuf Hamied Chair in Global Health & Director, CAPRISA; Global Virus Network Center of Excellence
Special Advisor to the Director-General, World Health Organization
Chair, Africa CDC Emergency Consultative Group
Joining from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Professor Robert F. Garry Jr., PhD
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Global Virus Network Center of Excellence
Professor Sten H. Vermund, MD, PhD
Chief Medical Officer, Global Virus Network
Dean, University of South Florida College of Public Health
Topics Expected to Include:
- Why this Ebola outbreak is generating international concern and the key factors shaping response efforts
- What makes the Bundibugyo strain different from more familiar Ebola outbreaks, including implications for vaccines and treatment
- Whether shortages of diagnostic reagents and testing capacity could slow case confirmation and compromise early containment efforts
- What healthcare workers and responders are facing on the ground, and what resources are urgently needed
- Risks of regional or cross-border spread, and what neighboring countries should be preparing for
- How community trust, public communication, and misinformation can influence the course of an outbreak
- Lessons from past Ebola emergencies and whether the global response is better prepared today
- What this outbreak reveals about broader global health preparedness, international coordination, and readiness for emerging infectious threats
About the Global Virus Network
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is a worldwide coalition comprising 90+ Virology Centers of Excellence and Affiliates across 40+ countries, whose mission is to facilitate pandemic preparedness against viral pathogens and diseases that threaten public health globally. GVN advances knowledge of viruses through (i) data-driven research and solutions, (ii) fostering the next generation of virology leaders, and (iii) enhancing global resources for readiness and response to emerging viral threats.
Media inquiries:
Nora Samaranayake
Senior Vice President, Marketing, Communications & Public Affairs
Global Virus Network
[email protected] | +1 443-823-0613