WHO Warns Congo Ebola Outbreak Is Outpacing Global Response

KUALA LUMPUR, AUGUST 2026 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading faster than efforts to contain it, prompting renewed calls for stronger international support and urgent action.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the appeal during his second visit to the country since the outbreak began in May, describing the situation as one that requires a significantly expanded and better-coordinated response.

As of August 5, the outbreak had resulted in 3,874 confirmed infections and 1,751 deaths, making it the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded and the largest in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s history.

Most infections have been concentrated in the conflict-hit Ituri province, although the virus has also spread to several neighbouring provinces, raising concerns over wider regional transmission.

Health authorities said the outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or proven treatment.

Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks involving the Zaire strain, medical teams have fewer tools available to quickly contain transmission, making prevention and early detection even more critical.

WHO said delayed case detection, weak contact tracing and widespread community transmission have significantly accelerated the spread of the disease.

Around 80% of newly reported infections are now emerging outside known transmission chains, indicating that many infected individuals are not being identified before transmitting the virus to others.

The response has also been disrupted by strikes involving healthcare workers who say they have not received their salaries.

The shortage of frontline personnel has reduced surveillance capacity, slowed patient care and complicated efforts to monitor thousands of people who may have been exposed to the virus.

Ongoing armed conflict in eastern Congo continues to present another major obstacle.

Violence has limited access to affected communities, forced temporary suspensions of medical operations and made it difficult for humanitarian organisations to deliver essential healthcare services.

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention stressed that improving early diagnosis, rebuilding community trust and expanding access to treatment facilities remain essential to slowing the outbreak.

Public health experts also emphasised the importance of community engagement to encourage people with symptoms to seek medical attention as early as possible.

To support the response, the United States announced an additional US$242 million in assistance, bringing its total humanitarian and Ebola-related support for the Democratic Republic of Congo to more than US$512 million.

The funding will help strengthen surveillance, treatment services, laboratory testing and humanitarian assistance in affected areas.

WHO has called on the Congolese government and international partners to reinforce leadership, improve coordination and ensure the protection of healthcare workers operating in high-risk areas.

Tedros said stronger cooperation between authorities, aid agencies and local communities will be critical to slowing transmission and preventing the outbreak from expanding further.

Despite the worsening situation inside the Democratic Republic of Congo, WHO continues to assess the global public health risk as relatively low.

However, health officials warned that without rapid intervention and sustained international support, the outbreak could continue to spread and place additional pressure on an already fragile healthcare system.