The World Health Organization has urged a significant scaling-up of efforts to combat Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, health teams have yet to trace all transmission pathways. As of Sept. 1, Congo reported 6,250 confirmed cases and 3,039 fatalities. The ongoing Bundibugyo outbreak now spans 60 health zones across six provinces. Congo’s Ebola response expands as Bundibugyo transmission remains active. This marks Congo’s most extensive and deadliest Ebola epidemic to date, ranking as the second-largest worldwide after the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak. Ituri remains the epicenter, accounting for approximately 85% of cases and 88% of deaths. Tedros highlighted that many fatalities involve individuals not listed as known contacts, underscoring that health teams continue to miss some chains of transmission. Hindrances such as community deaths and unsafe burials are major challenges to containing the outbreak. Africa CDC reports that over 60% of fatalities in the past week occurred within communities. Delays in identifying infections and admitting patients to treatment centers have also been observed. Government data shows 1,439 recoveries and a case fatality rate of 48.6%, illustrating the severe impact of the Bundibugyo strain. Active Transmission Continues in Eastern Congo Transmission persists in 51 health zones despite recent indications of declining case numbers. Four zones have had no new cases for over 42

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have initiated a focused Ebola immunization campaign in Kisangani, the administrative center of Tshopo Province, aiming to halt the deadliest outbreak in the country’s history. Frontline healthcare providers, emergency responders, and those with direct contact to confirmed cases are receiving priority during the first phase of vaccination. Health Minister Roger Kamba confirmed the campaign employs doses of the Ervebo vaccine to protect essential personnel working across the eastern provinces most affected.

EU diagnostic support expands as health authorities respond to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak.The PCR testing kits will be shipped to the World Health Organization’s Hub for Global Health Emergencies Logistics in Dubai. WHO will coordinate their distribution to affected areas participating in the Ebola response. PCR testing is crucial for confirming infections quickly, as laboratories can process large sample volumes with high precision. The equipment is compatible with existing laboratory setups, enabling faster diagnosis. Prompt confirmation allows health teams to identify infected individuals, provide appropriate care and isolation, and conduct contact tracing around confirmed cases.

As the Ebola situation expands across several regions, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is set to receive 70,000 Ervebo Ebola vaccine doses. According to authorities, as of Aug. 18, there have been 5,208 confirmed cases and 2,476 fatalities. The outbreak now spans 56 health zones within six eastern and northeastern provinces. There have been 1,115 recoveries reported, while 730 patients remain hospitalized or in isolation.

World Health Organization states that Congo’s Ebola outbreak could be contained within three months if adequate resources are provided to response teams. The latest official figures report 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 fatalities as of Aug. 16, with cases spreading across 55 health zones in six provinces. The case fatality rate has climbed to 47.4%, making this the deadliest Ebola outbreak in Congo’s history and the second-largest Ebola epidemic globally. Congo Ebola response expands as health teams work to curb Bundibugyo transmission. Thierno Baldé, WHO incident manager, emphasized that achieving the three-month goal hinges on securing necessary funding. The agency has received approximately $69.3 million of the $115 million it estimates is needed, roughly 60%. Over the past two weeks, teams added more than 400 treatment beds, deployed 100 extra epidemiologists, and mobilized over 500 community health workers for surveillance and contact tracing. The effort requires vehicles, ambulances, medical supplies, and personnel to cover the expanding affected area. Transmission now extends to Bas-Uélé, making it the sixth impacted province. As of Aug. 12, Ituri accounted for 85% of confirmed cases and 79% of all reported deaths nationwide. Officials reported that 70% to 80% of new cases have no known link to existing patients. To improve response, health teams are enhancing surveillance to identify cases more rapidly and transfer patients to treatment centers. The first confirmed case in

In 2025, the Democratic Republic of the Congo documented 26,064,143 malaria infections. The nation also reported 29,938 fatalities associated with the disease during that year. Guy Esebe Dembo, deputy director of the National Malaria Control Programme, shared these statistics during a campaign launch in Ituri province. Dembo emphasized that malaria remains the leading public health issue in the country. These figures highlight the significant disease burden faced by one of Africa’s most heavily affected nations.