DR Congo Ebola epidemic becomes world’s second largest outbreak

What the report says

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak has grown into the world’s second-largest recorded epidemic, according to figures cited by Al Jazeera from the country’s Ministry of Communication and Media and public health authorities. Published on July 31, 2026, the report said confirmed cases had reached 3,532, overtaking the DRC’s previous major outbreak from 2018 to 2020. The ministry also said 1,556 people had died, with a reported fatality rate of 44.1 percent.

The article said the outbreak has spread across five provinces: Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo. It is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which the report said does not have an approved vaccine or treatment. Officials described it as the fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic they have seen, while the World Food Programme’s acting head, Carl Skau, warned that the situation requires much more international attention.

Al Jazeera reported that 807 patients were in isolation or hospital and 626 had recovered. Africa CDC said the outbreak has killed five times as many people as earlier outbreaks had by this stage, and the WHO has warned the true scale may be significantly higher than official counts. The report also pointed to insecurity in eastern DRC, attacks on health facilities, aid cuts and community mistrust as factors making containment more difficult. These issues matter because they complicate response efforts in a region already affected by armed conflict and strained public health capacity.