Ebola spreads in eastern Congo as deaths top 1,000

2026-07-27

Ebola deaths top 1,000 in eastern Congo as conflict rages

Deaths from the ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) have topped 1,000, the director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on the 22nd at an international conference in Ghana. The toll passed 1,000 in less than three months after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak in May, and the spread is faster than in previous outbreaks.

Why the outbreak is spreading

During the 2014-16 outbreak in West Africa, deaths topped 10,000. It took about eight months from the start of that outbreak for deaths to reach 1,000, but this time the pace has been much faster. The outbreak is the Bundibugyo strain, and there has so far been no specific treatment or vaccine.

Ituri Province and other areas in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak is centered, have long been plagued by fighting between government forces and armed groups. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), infections have been confirmed at least 16 shelters in Ituri Province, which are housing more than 270,000 displaced people. OCHA said on the 20th that overcrowding and restricted access to basic medical services are increasing the risk of infection.

Response and challenges

Deteriorating security has made it harder to track patients and close contacts. The source of infection is unknown in 80% of cases, and 60% of the dead died before receiving hospital treatment. On the 15th, a treatment center in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri Province, was attacked, while some health workers have gone on strike over harsh working conditions and unpaid wages. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on the international community to cooperate, saying political intervention is also needed to expand the response. WHO estimated last month that $518 million, or about 83 billion yen, would be needed for the response, leaving a shortfall of $400 million.

Drug and vaccine development

So far, the spread remains confined to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and has not reached neighboring countries. In neighboring Uganda, 20 infections and two deaths have been confirmed, but the last patient was discharged on the 16th. There have also been cases of health workers dispatched from Europe and elsewhere becoming infected, although all have recovered.

Development of specific treatments and vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain is also moving ahead. Clinical trials of two candidate treatments began in early July, and safety trials of a vaccine candidate led by the University of Oxford began on the 13th. Development needs to be accelerated in preparation for a prolonged outbreak and any future resurgence.

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