Ebola tracing improves in DR Congo – but the virus is still winning the race
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are tracking a growing share of people exposed to Ebola, but the epidemic in the country's restive east continues to outpace their ability to find and…
Source: United Nations News · August 16, 2026 at 5:44 PM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 14 AUGUST 2026 —
KUALA LUMPUR/GENEVA — The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to outpace containment efforts despite improving surveillance, with hidden transmission chains driving a surge that threatens to become the deadliest outbreak on record, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Thursday. Congolese authorities have recorded 4,449 confirmed cases and 2,061 deaths as of Tuesday—reflecting a 46 per cent fatality rate—with only 886 patients recovered.
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According to the WHO, the outbreak is heavily concentrated in Ituri province, which accounts for roughly 90 per cent of cases and 80 per cent of deaths, with the Bunia–Rwampara–Mongbwalu–Nizi corridor serving as the main axis of spread. Cases are also rising in North Kivu and Haut-Uélé, with 53 of 140 health zones reporting infections across five provinces.
While national contact tracing exceeded 85 per cent for the first time, Haut-Uélé registered just 58 per cent. Response operations face severe bottlenecks, including saturated treatment centres in Ituri, insufficient specialized referral facilities in North Kivu, a total lack of standard-compliant treatment centres across six affected zones in Haut-Uélé, and reported salary payment delays for frontline personnel.
The WHO warned that the epidemic is on track to potentially surpass the 2014 to 2016 West Africa outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people among over 28,000 cases. Health officials stressed that tracing improvements alone cannot halt the virus without urgently expanding treatment capacity, rebuilding community trust to facilitate safe burials, and accelerating isolation to outpace community transmission.