Congo Ebola outbreak could be worst ever with tens of thousands of contacts untraced, Africa CDC warns

Jun 16, 2026

The Africa CDC warns the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could become the worst in history, potentially surpassing the 2014-2016 epidemic that killed 11,000. With 837 confirmed cases and 196 deaths, the response is failing as tens of thousands of patient contacts remain untraced. The virus has spread to Uganda, while a massive funding shortfall and lack of an approved vaccine hamper containment efforts.

DRC Ebola outbreak scale

▪The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached 837, including 196 deaths, as of June 16, 2026.
▪A Red Cross official stated the epidemic has not yet peaked and warned it could last for a year to contain.
▪The Africa CDC warns the current DRC Ebola outbreak could become worse than the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak that killed over 11,000 people.

Contact tracing failures

▪Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya warned on June 16, 2026, that tens of thousands of contacts of Ebola patients have not been traced.
▪Jean Kaseya specified that more than 26,000 people who may have been exposed to Ebola are untraced.

Funding shortfall for response

▪Africa has raised less than one-fifth of the $518 million it is seeking to fund measures to contain the Ebola outbreak.
▪The funding information was provided by Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who also chairs the African Union.

Vaccine development timeline

▪There is no approved treatment or vaccine for the current strain of Ebola.
▪The World Health Organization estimates it could take up to nine months for a vaccine to be ready.

Regional spread to Uganda

▪The Ebola outbreak has spread to neighboring Uganda, which has recorded 19 cases and two deaths.
▪Of Uganda's 19 Ebola cases, 14 were among people who had traveled from the DRC.

Community resistance to measures

▪The outbreak response is hampered by a lack of treatment centers and community resistance to stringent hygiene measures.
▪Unsafe traditional burials, where family members handle the highly infectious bodies of victims, are a leading driver of Ebola transmission.