Congo-Kinshasa: Ebola Deaths in DR Congo Top 3,000 As WHO Prepares Vaccine Trials

What the report says

Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo say the country’s Ebola outbreak has now caused more than 3,000 deaths, according to figures cited by Radio France Internationale and distributed by AllAfrica. The latest toll from the Congolese National Institute of Public Health showed 6,186 confirmed cases, 3,007 deaths and 1,409 recoveries, underscoring the scale of the crisis.

The outbreak was declared on May 15 in the remote northeastern province of Ituri and has since spread to six provinces. The report says the response has been strained by insecurity, weak state presence in affected areas and resistance from some communities, making it harder for health teams to find and treat cases early. The World Health Organisation estimates that a large share of deaths have occurred outside treatment centres.

WHO is preparing trials of three potential vaccines against the Bundibugyo strain, which is behind the current outbreak and does not yet have an approved vaccine or treatment. According to the report, trials could begin by October or November. The agency is also weighing whether the existing Ervebo vaccine, which is approved for the Zaire strain, may offer some protection against Bundibugyo.

The update matters because the outbreak has spread into areas where access and security are limited, complicating containment. WHO officials have said frontline health workers in Congo should receive Ervebo only in the context of research on its effectiveness against this strain.