Congo: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported 11,042 confirmed Ebola cases and at least 5,387 deaths, as health authorities continue efforts to contain the country’s largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak.
The latest figures, released by the government, highlight the growing challenges facing healthcare teams in controlling the spread of the virus. The ongoing outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus and has affected eight of the country’s 26 provinces. Several deaths have occurred outside treatment centres, making it more difficult for health authorities to track infections and prevent further transmission.
The outbreak has become the second-largest and second-deadliest Ebola epidemic on record, following the 2014–2016 outbreak in West Africa, which infected more than 28,600 people and claimed over 11,000 lives. Delayed detection, armed conflict and overstretched healthcare services have contributed to the rapid spread of the virus.
Containment efforts have also been complicated by the absence of a vaccine or specific treatment developed for the Bundibugyo strain, which has a reported fatality rate of approximately 50 percent.
The outbreak has spread beyond the DRC, with cases reported across East, Central and West Africa. This gives the current epidemic the widest geographical reach of any Ebola outbreak recorded on the African continent.
Earlier this month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines aimed at addressing the outbreak. The organisation expects preliminary results from the trials in early 2027, raising hopes for additional tools to combat the disease.
Meanwhile, health authorities continue to face significant challenges in strengthening surveillance, identifying infections early and expanding access to medical care as efforts to contain the outbreak continue.
MOST READ | Cameroon announces legislative and local elections for Feb 2027
