Health Workers Strike at Elikya Ebola Center as Congo Outbreak Reaches 2,973 Cases

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 1,300 deaths and neared 3,000 cases as of late July 2026, marking the fastest-growing outbreak on record. Driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain, which has a 40% fatality rate and no approved vaccine, containment efforts are severely hampered by ongoing medical workers' strikes over unpaid wages and bonuses. Healthcare workers at multiple treatment centers — including Rwampara General Hospital and Bunia General Hospital in Ituri province, the outbreak's epicenter — have repeatedly walked off the job since early July, blocking entrances and paralyzing patient care. Front-line staff including epidemiologists, case investigators, drivers, and gravediggers report receiving no pay since the outbreak was declared on May 15. Congolese authorities cited the closure of Bunia airport as contributing to delays in fund disbursement. Over 100 health workers have been infected since the outbreak began, with at least 35 deaths among them. The outbreak has also spread internationally, with cases confirmed in Uganda, France, and a US citizen evacuated to Germany.

Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak deaths

• ▪The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak reached 2,973 confirmed cases and 1,309 deaths as of July 24, 2026.
• ▪The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, which has a case fatality rate of approximately 40%.
• ▪The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo reached the 1,000-death milestone in just over two months, making it the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record.

No approved vaccine available

• ▪Health workers at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia went on strike on July 25, 2026, over two months of unpaid performance bonuses.
• ▪The World Health Organization and Africa Centers for Disease Control face a funding shortfall of over $400 million of their joint $518 million response plan.
• ▪There are no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.

Community resistance to response

• ▪Community mistrust, rumors about treatment centers, and resistance to safe burials have led some individuals in the Democratic Republic of Congo to avoid Ebola testing.
• ▪The World Health Organization estimates that the true scale of the Ebola outbreak could be two to four times larger than official data suggest.

Armed conflict hampering containment

• ▪Armed conflict involving groups like the M23 rebels and the Allied Democratic Forces in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has severely disrupted Ebola contact tracing and surveillance.
• ▪Suspected Allied Democratic Forces rebels killed at least 16 people in an attack on a village in Ituri province on July 22, 2026.

Contact tracing below targets

• ▪Ebola contact tracing in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains at approximately 77% nationwide, falling short of the 95% target required to interrupt transmission.
• ▪The highly mobile nature of informal workers in artisanal gold mining in Ituri province has accelerated the geographic spread of the Ebola virus.

Experimental treatment trials beginning

• ▪Researchers in Ituri province have initiated a clinical trial of two experimental treatments to evaluate their effectiveness against the Bundibugyo Ebola virus.
• ▪The World Health Organization states that the clinical trial could require up to 1,000 participants and several months to determine treatment efficacy.