The Democratic Republic of the Congo's deadliest Ebola outbreak has surpassed 7,200 cases and 3,500 deaths across seven provinces. While Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba announces that the epidemic has peaked and daily cases have dropped from 120 to 80, United Nations and World Health Organization officials warn it is too early to declare a turning point. Containment of the rare Bundibugyo strain remains severely challenged by active conflict and high population mobility in North Kivu.
Ebola outbreak trajectory in DRC
- ▪Jean-Jacques Muyembe, director of the National Institute for Biomedical Research, stated on September 15, 2026, that indicators in Ituri province have turned green and response teams have the situation under control
- ▪Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya stated on September 12, 2026, that the Ebola outbreak peaked during the third week of August 2026, with 10 of 61 affected health zones recording no new cases for at least 21 days
- ▪The Democratic Republic of the Congo's health minister, Samuel Roger Kamba, announced that the Ebola outbreak has reached its peak, with daily new cases decreasing from approximately 120 to around 80
Geographic spread across provinces
- ▪Health officials and the non-profit Flowminder are using anonymized mobile-phone data from Vodacom to track population movements and predict the geographic spread of the Ebola virus
- ▪The Ebola outbreak has spread to seven provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with South-Ubangi recently confirming cases after a 23-year-old infected man traveled extensively
- ▪Flowminder's mobility analysis identified Kisangani as a major transport hub at high risk, prompting health officials to strengthen operations there before the first Ebola cases were detected
Conflict zones complicating response
- ▪Ongoing conflict and insecurity in North Kivu and Ituri provinces have severely complicated efforts to monitor Ebola infections, trace contacts, and deliver medical assistance
- ▪Ebola infections are rising rapidly in North Kivu, particularly in the densely populated city of Butembo, with 555 of its 1,269 confirmed cases reported within a 21-day period leading up to September 12, 2026
Case statistics exceeding 7,000
- ▪The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 7,000 cases, with official figures on September 15, 2026, recording 7,258 confirmed infections
- ▪The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment
Death toll surpassing 3,400
- ▪The Ebola outbreak has killed at least 3,510 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, making it the country's deadliest Ebola epidemic on record
- ▪African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention director general Jean Kaseya reported that 60% to 70% of the Ebola deaths have occurred within the community rather than health facilities
Diverging official versus UN assessments
- ▪Congolese Member of Parliament Iracan Gratien de Saint-Nicolas expressed skepticism over the government's peak announcement, warning against triumphalism and calling for greater data transparency
- ▪United Nations and World Health Organization officials, including Olivier le Polain, cautioned that it is too early to declare that the Ebola outbreak has passed its peak
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