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DRC Ebola Outbreak Becomes Country's Fastest-Growing as WHO Calls for Scale-Up

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo — 24 August 2026

The Democratic Republic of Congo's ongoing Ebola outbreak has passed 5,200 reported cases, with the World Health Organization warning that transmission is outpacing current control efforts and calling for a major expansion of the response.

The WHO issued the warning on 24 August, marking 100 days since DRC declared the outbreak. It described the outbreak as the country's fastest-growing Ebola outbreak to date.

Ituri remains the epicentre, accounting for approximately 85 percent of reported cases and 79 percent of deaths. WHO says the outbreak has expanded to a sixth province.

One of the most worrying indicators is the number of deaths occurring outside treatment facilities. WHO estimates that community deaths accounted for around 60 percent of the approximately 260 weekly fatalities recorded during the previous six weeks. The pattern points to continuing problems with early detection, referral and access to treatment.

The situation has direct implications for East Africa because of DRC's extensive population movement and its borders with Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.

Uganda has already been part of the wider regional preparedness effort, while WHO and other partners have emphasised cross-border surveillance and community engagement.

The response is complicated by conflict, population displacement, attacks on health facilities, difficult access and reluctance in some communities.

For the development community, the outbreak demonstrates why epidemic preparedness cannot be separated from wider investments in health infrastructure, security, transport and community trust.

Containing the outbreak will require more than emergency treatment capacity. It will require sustained surveillance, rapid diagnosis, community-based response and reliable financing.

The latest figures make the development imperative stark: the faster an outbreak spreads, the more expensive and disruptive it becomes to contain.

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa

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