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The Italian government's statement, released through Palazzo Chigi, argued that the epidemiological situation in Central Africa requires "the utmost attention" from all member states . Rather than advocating for unilateral Italian border closures, Meloni is pushing for common, coordinated EU rules on border surveillance, specifically for managing direct and indirect arrivals from affected zones . Her stated goal is to prevent a patchwork of incompatible national measures that could create gaps in Europe's defense against imported cases .

Beyond the summit agenda request, Meloni is also pushing for an urgent videoconference of EU health ministers in the coming week . On the operational side, Italy has already activated health screening protocols for travelers arriving from the DRC and Uganda, and announced the deployment of a medical team from Rome's Spallanzani infectious diseases hospital to Kinshasa to provide technical support and medical supplies .

How fast the outbreak is growing

The outbreak's trajectory in May 2026 has been steep and alarming:

• May 15–16: The outbreak was officially declared with 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths across the DRC and Uganda .
• May 20: Nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 deaths were reported in an ECDC threat assessment .
• May 21: WHO reported 746 suspected cases and 176 deaths .
• May 27: Numbers climbed to 906 suspected cases and 223 deaths .
• May 28: The DRC Ministry of Health published revised figures of 125 confirmed cases with 17 confirmed deaths, alongside 906 suspected cases with 223 deaths .
• May 29: Tracking showed 225 confirmed cases, 1,037 suspected cases, and a total of 241 deaths across both countries .

This represents roughly a 4× increase in suspected cases and a 3× increase in deaths in just 14 days. The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is particularly concerning because it currently has neither a vaccine nor a specific cure, and the WHO estimates its case fatality rate between 25% and 50% .

The true scale of the outbreak is likely larger than reported figures suggest. WHO has repeatedly cautioned that the high positivity rate and increasing reports of community deaths indicate "a potentially much larger outbreak than what is currently being detected and reported" .

Europe's institutional response so far

The European Commission has published a dedicated Ebola virus outbreak 2026 information page on its Public Health portal, acknowledging the PHEIC determination and the cross-border risk . The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued a Threat Assessment Brief evaluating the risk to EU/EEA citizens as very low but warranting preparedness, and has activated the Early Warning and Response System (EWRS) to alert member states . Specific figures for EU funding or expert deployments dedicated to this outbreak have not yet been detailed in available sources.

The clash with global health authorities

Meloni's push for EU-wide border tightening places her in direct tension with the WHO and ICAO, both of which have explicitly warned against such measures.

The WHO Director-General declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17, but emphasized that it does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency . The IHR Emergency Committee, meeting on May 22, issued Temporary Recommendations advising against general travel or trade restrictions, characterizing them as unnecessary and potentially counterproductive to the outbreak response .

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) reinforced this position on May 25, issuing a statement titled "International air services remain safe amid Ebola outbreak" and urging governments to "adhere strictly to WHO recommendations" and avoid unjustified restrictions on landing, takeoff, or overflight rights . ICAO has integrated digital tools like electronic health declarations and contactless border processes into its guidance as a preferred alternative to blanket bans .

Several countries have already broken with WHO advice. By late May, the United States, Canada, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Jordan, and Rwanda had announced formal Ebola-related entry bans or visa suspensions for travelers from affected regions, while Thailand imposed mandatory 21-day quarantine measures . Meloni's intervention signals that pressure is building within Europe to follow suit, even as health authorities warn that such measures could block the flow of essential personnel and supplies into the outbreak zone.

Italy now stands at the center of an escalating policy debate: whether Europe should prioritize maximum health security through coordinated border controls, or whether it should heed the WHO's warnings that closing doors to affected countries could ultimately prove more dangerous than keeping them open.