Ebola death toll in DRC surges to at least 930 as outbreak continues spread

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing the Democratic Republic of Congo’s health ministry and reporting from AFP and Reuters, said the death toll in the country’s latest Ebola outbreak has climbed to at least 930. The ministry reported on Monday, July 20, 2026, that confirmed cases had reached at least 2,344 as of Saturday, with 37 deaths recorded in a 24-hour period from Friday. Al Jazeera described that rise as one of the largest daily increases since the outbreak was declared on May 15.

The World Health Organization warned last week that Ebola is spreading in the DRC faster than in any previous outbreak in the country. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the 2018-2020 DRC outbreak took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases, while the current outbreak reached that level in about two months. He also said the real number of cases could be at least twice the official count and described the outbreak as the third-largest Ebola outbreak recorded.

According to Al Jazeera, the outbreak was first detected after several deaths in Ituri, a northeastern province where armed groups are active. Cases have been reported in five DRC provinces and in neighbouring Uganda, though Tedros said Uganda is close to being “virus-free.” In Ituri, health workers began a strike last week and blocked access to Bunia General Hospital, saying they had not received compensation since the response began.

The ministry said 724 patients were in hospital isolation and that response efforts were being strengthened in affected areas. It also reported 22 new recoveries in 24 hours. Ebola spreads through close contact with infected bodily fluids, making rapid case detection, isolation and contact tracing central to limiting transmission.