Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surpassed 8,000 for the first time in the country’s ongoing outbreak, according to government data released Monday.
The latest situation report from the country’s public health institute recorded 8,067 confirmed cases and 3,901 deaths, highlighting the continued scale of the outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola.
The outbreak has now become the largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s history, surpassing the 2018 to 2020 outbreak. It remains second only to the 2014 to 2016 West African Ebola epidemic, which recorded more than 28,600 infections and over 11,000 deaths across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The World Health Organization has described the outbreak as particularly challenging because of insecurity, population displacement, limited access to healthcare and high levels of population and trade movement in affected areas. The outbreak has also raised concerns about further cross border transmission.
Earlier WHO data showed that Ituri remained the epicentre of the outbreak, while infections had also been reported across several other provinces, including North Kivu, Haut Uele, Bas Uele, South Kivu and Tshopo. By September, the outbreak had expanded into a seventh province, South Ubangi.
The scale of the outbreak has placed additional pressure on health facilities and response teams. WHO has been supporting authorities with disease surveillance, contact tracing, clinical care, medical supplies, community engagement and preparedness measures at border points.
Health authorities have also stressed the importance of early detection and community cooperation in interrupting chains of transmission, particularly in areas where insecurity and limited access to healthcare make outbreak response more difficult.
The continued rise in cases underscores the broader development impact of major disease outbreaks, including pressure on already constrained health systems, disruption to livelihoods and increased risks for communities with limited access to essential healthcare services.
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