Congo-Kinshasa: Oxford Begins Ebola Vaccine Trial

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Radio France Internationale report dated 27 July 2026, said the Democratic Republic of Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak has reached 3,200 confirmed cases and 1,405 deaths, citing government data released Sunday. Officials reported that infections rose by about 1,000 in 10 days, with cases confirmed in five provinces. The outbreak, declared on 15 May, is the country’s 17th recorded Ebola epidemic.

The report said the epidemic is concentrated in eastern DRC, where insecurity has long complicated public health work. Nearly 90% of reported cases are in Ituri province, which borders South Sudan and Uganda, according to the World Health Organization. Authorities attributed part of the increase in recorded infections to expanded detection and testing, while health worker strikes over unpaid wages have disrupted response efforts in some hospitals.

RFI reported that the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. Oxford University said Friday that an initial group of volunteers had received an experimental vaccine designed for that strain. The article also said other vaccine candidates are being accelerated toward trials, and two possible treatments are being developed.

The outbreak matters because Ebola can spread through contact with bodily fluids and cause severe haemorrhagic fever, making rapid case detection, isolation, care and community engagement central to control. RFI also noted that WHO’s emergencies chief warned on 15 July that the actual number of infections in DRC could be significantly higher than the official count.