RismadarVoice Reporters
September 3, 2026
Congo’s Ebola outbreak has killed more than 3,000 people, with health authorities warning that the virus is spreading faster than efforts to contain it.
The latest figures from Congo’s Ministry of Health showed 6,186 confirmed cases and 3,007 deaths since the outbreak was declared a global health emergency in mid-May.
The outbreak has spread to six provinces and remains the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record.
Two additional health zones in North Kivu were affected last week, with the province recording a significantly higher fatality rate than other affected areas.
Health workers are struggling to respond under difficult conditions, with repeated strikes over unpaid salaries further hampering efforts to contain the disease.
The outbreak has been fuelled by conflict in eastern Congo, attacks on health workers, the movement of miners and inadequate health infrastructure.
The reopening of schools amid the outbreak has also raised concerns about possible transmission among students.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that the outbreak could surpass West Africa’s 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic, which remains the deadliest on record, killing about 11,000 people.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) estimated that the actual size of the outbreak could be three times higher than reported because surveillance and contact tracing remain weak.
The outbreak is already the deadliest Ebola epidemic in Congo’s history.
The current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no approved treatment or widely available vaccine specifically targeting the strain. However, vaccine candidates are under development.
Last week, the Congolese government began distributing the Ervebo vaccine to frontline health workers in Kisangani, in the northeastern Tshopo region.
The WHO said Ervebo, which has been used during previous Ebola outbreaks, could offer some protection as authorities intensify efforts to slow the spread of the virus.
