Ebola outbreak becomes deadliest in DR Congo's history

KUALA LUMPUR, 18 AUGUST 2026 —

The Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the deadliest in the country’s history, the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Monday.

The current outbreak, declared by national authorities on May 15, also became the country’s largest in terms of confirmed cases by late July, with 4,945 cases reported. As of the latest data, 730 patients remain in isolation or hospitals, while 1,040 have recovered. The fatality rate has risen to 46%, according to government figures.

This outbreak remains second only to West Africa’s 2014-2016 Ebola crisis, which recorded 28,616 cases and 11,310 deaths. However, the Bundibugyo strain is spreading at a faster rate, WHO noted. No approved treatment exists for this strain, and vaccine trials are underway in the UK and Canada.

Health officials cite inadequate infrastructure, ongoing conflict in the outbreak’s epicenter, and public distrust of medical authorities as major obstacles. WHO warned that the response is struggling to keep pace with the outbreak’s spread. To mitigate risks, the UN and global health partners are working to prevent cross-border transmission to neighboring countries such as South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

In early June, WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention launched a continental response plan. The initiative focuses on emergency coordination, disease surveillance, laboratory testing, infection control, clinical care, community engagement, research, logistics, and support for essential health services. The UN’s humanitarian aid office, OCHA, has allocated $54.5 million to accelerate the response in the DRC, prepare neighboring nations, and build trust within local communities.

In the Central African Republic (CAR), the UN’s peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, is assisting authorities with technical support, surveillance, preparedness, communication, and capacity-building efforts. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that peacekeeping forces are transporting health experts and delivering critical supplies across the CAR.

WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarević emphasized the need for a “major scale-up” in the response. On Friday, WHO convened a meeting in Bangui with representatives from the CAR, DRC, Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda to strengthen cooperation on disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness. The agency aims to reverse the outbreak’s rapid spread within three months by bringing transmission under control.

WHO stressed that sustained support is required across all response areas, including safe access to communities and resources to contain the outbreak. “Responders need the means to end this outbreak and save lives,” the agency stated. Details on Malaysia’s specific market or sectoral impact from this outbreak remain unavailable.