After Rubio’s critique, WHO defends work on Ebola response By Andrew Joseph May 20, 2026 Stat News Share Summary Takeaways Listen Quiz 1 WHO defended its response to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, emphasizing its role in supporting national health agencies. 2 Marco Rubio criticized WHO for being late in identifying the outbreak, which WHO attributed to a misunderstanding of its responsibilities. 3 The DRC outbreak has nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, indicating the virus has been spreading for months. 4 WHO officials noted the outbreak's complexity due to its location in a conflict zone, complicating healthcare access and disease recognition. 5 The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola was identified on May 14 after initial tests returned negative results, delaying outbreak response.
