The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for urgent international action to contain the worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), warning that it could become the world’s worst Ebola epidemic if left unchecked.
Speaking on 21 July 2026, Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said the outbreak was escalating at an alarming rate and urged governments and partners to mobilise all available resources to halt the spread of the virus.
According to the DRC Health Ministry, 2,423 confirmed Ebola cases, including 967 deaths, had been recorded by 22 July 2026, just 65 days after the outbreak was declared on 15 May 2026. The outbreak has a 39.9% case fatality rate, while 81.1% of contacts are being traced.
The disease has spread across five provinces—Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo—with Ituri remaining the epicentre of the Bundibugyo virus strain. The World Health Organization also reported that the number of affected health zones increased from 36 to 42 over the past week.