Saturday, June 20, 2026 -The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading rapidly despite intensified efforts to contain the deadly virus.
Speaking from Bunia, the capital of the conflict-affected
Ituri Province, WHO Regional Emergencies Director for Africa, Marie-Roseline
Belizaire, said health authorities are struggling to keep pace with the
evolving outbreak. “The outbreak remains serious” and is “evolving so fast,”
Belizaire told reporters in Geneva, while noting that the response effort is
becoming stronger each day.
The outbreak was officially declared on May 15, although
health officials believe the virus had been circulating undetected for some
time before its discovery. The epidemic is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo
strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine.
According to the latest WHO update, the DRC has recorded 896
confirmed Ebola cases, including 232 deaths. Health authorities also reported
21 new infections within the last 24 hours. More than 90 per cent of the
confirmed cases have been recorded in Ituri Province, an area already grappling
with insecurity and armed conflict. The outbreak has also spread to the
neighbouring provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.
Belizaire said the pace of transmission has forced health
workers to continually expand response measures, including treatment capacity,
testing and contact tracing. She revealed that the number of treatment beds
available for Ebola patients has increased from zero at the start of the
outbreak to more than 500.
Surveillance teams are currently investigating nearly 400
alerts and now have the capacity to conduct more than 2,000 Ebola tests daily.
The WHO official also said efforts to identify and monitor people who may have
been exposed to the virus have improved significantly, with authorities now
reaching approximately 75 per cent of known contacts.
However, the WHO has previously stated that at least 95 per
cent of contacts need to be traced and monitored to effectively contain the
outbreak. Outside the DRC, neighbouring Uganda remains the only other country
affected by the outbreak. Uganda has recorded 19 confirmed cases, including two
deaths, while 10 patients have recovered.
Health authorities in Uganda have not reported any new Ebola
cases for 12 consecutive days, raising hopes that transmission in the country
may be under control. Ebola is a severe viral disease that spreads through
direct contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause haemorrhagic fever,
with high fatality rates if not detected and treated early.
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