Ebola cases surpass 5,000 in DR Congo

Harry Archie August 19, 2026

More than 5,000 cases of Ebola have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the African Union’s health agency.

The country is facing what is now its worst Ebola outbreak on record.

The current outbreak, which was declared on May 15, has so far killed 2,378 people out of 5,021 confirmed cases, according to the latest figures released by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Wednesday.

The outbreak has affected parts of northern and eastern DRC, where health facilities are limited and armed groups have been active for years.

The previous deadliest outbreak in the country, which lasted from 2018 to 2020, killed 2,299 people out of 3,381 confirmed cases, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) figures.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Tuesday that the outbreak was still far from being under control.

He said the risk of the virus spreading further within and outside the country remained high.

Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.

There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the latest outbreak, although clinical trials are ongoing.

The response has also been slowed by limited resources, poor coordination and resistance in some communities.

Africa CDC said some people had refused testing, making it harder for health workers to monitor and control the spread of the virus.

The WHO said efforts were ongoing to strengthen the response and reach affected communities, while the European Union announced that it would provide testing kits worth €2.5 million ($2.9 million).