Ebola outbreak becomes deadliest in DR Congo's history

The Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the deadliest the country has ever experienced, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday, 17 August 2026, according to UN News. Local authorities report that the disease has killed 2,325 people, surpassing the 2,299 deaths recorded during the DRC’s 2018-2020 outbreak. The current outbreak also holds the record for the country’s largest in terms of total confirmed cases. WHO has warned that the outbreak is “outpacing the response.” The agency has initiated a major scale-up in every aspect of the emergency effort.

The outbreak was declared by national authorities on 15 May and became the DRC’s largest by total confirmed cases in late July. There are currently 4,945 confirmed cases, according to the latest data. Inadequate health infrastructure, ongoing conflict at the epicentre of the outbreak, and distrust of medical authorities have hindered response efforts. The Bundibugyo strain has no approved treatment, though vaccine trials are underway in the UK and Canada. Globally, the outbreak remains eclipsed only by West Africa’s 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, which saw 28,616 cases and 11,310 deaths.

According to Government data, 730 patients remain in isolation or in the hospital, while 1,040 people have recovered. The fatality rate has risen to 46 per cent. WHO notes that the Bundibugyo outbreak is taking lives at a much faster rate than the West Africa outbreak. The UN and its global health partners are working to prevent the spread of Ebola to neighboring countries such as South Sudan and the Central African Republic. In early June, WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention launched a joint continental response plan.

OCHA, the UN’s humanitarian aid office, has allocated $54.5 million to accelerate the response in the DRC and prepare neighboring countries for possible spread. In the Central African Republic, the UN’s peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, is working with multiple UN agencies on technical assistance, surveillance, preparedness, communication, and capacity building. “Our peacekeeping colleagues in the country have been providing technical and logistical assistance, including the transportation of health experts throughout the CAR and the delivery of essential equipment and supplies,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters on Monday. On Friday, WHO convened a meeting in Bangui between representatives from the Central African Republic, DRC, Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda. The countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness.

WHO said last week that it hopes to reverse the fast-moving spread of Ebola within three months by bringing transmission under control. WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarević told UN News the agency has initiated a “major scale-up in every aspect of the response” to Ebola. The agency emphasized that support is still needed for all areas of the response. “Responders need safe access to communities, and the resources to end this outbreak and save lives,” WHO said. Cross-border cooperation among affected and at-risk countries remains central to containment efforts.