Ebola outbreak out of control in Democratic Republic of the Congo, WHO says: ‘It is spreading faster than our ability to contain it’

Key Points:

• The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is experiencing its deadliest Ebola outbreak on record, caused by the Bundibugyo variant, with over 5,100 infections and 2,420 deaths since early 2026, surpassing the 2018 outbreak's death toll.
• The outbreak is spreading rapidly across six eastern and northeastern provinces, with many deaths occurring in communities rather than healthcare settings, complicated by late detection due to diagnostic challenges and symptom overlap with other diseases.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) considers the situation "very high" risk for the DRC and neighboring countries, emphasizing that the outbreak is far from under control and highlighting the lack of effective vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain.
• Efforts to contain the outbreak face challenges including armed conflict, population displacement, and community resistance, while economic impacts are severe, with social distancing measures affecting livelihoods in affected regions like Ituri province.
• WHO is scaling up response measures including community surveillance, treatment capacity expansion, and clinical trials for vaccines and treatments, but funding shortages and reduced international aid hinder progress, with only 60% of the $115 million needed received so far.