The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has raised the alarm over the rapidly escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, urging governments, international partners and health agencies to intensify efforts to contain the deadly virus.
The continental public health agency warned that without urgent and coordinated action, the outbreak could become the largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic ever recorded, posing a significant public health threat across Central and East Africa.
The DRC declared its first major Ebola outbreak of 2026 on May 15. Since then, the virus has spread rapidly across several provinces, fuelling fears that it could spill over into neighbouring Uganda and trigger a wider regional health crisis.
As the outbreak worsened, the World Health Organisation declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, calling for stronger global collaboration to halt the spread of the disease.
As of Tuesday, health authorities had confirmed more than 2,423 Ebola cases and 967 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 39.9 per cent. Contact tracing coverage currently stands at 81.1 per cent.
Africa CDC Director-General, Jean Kaseya, described the situation as critical, warning that time was running out to contain the outbreak.
“This outbreak is escalating quickly. We need to act now. If we don’t stop it today, it will be the worst ever recorded,” Kaseya said.
He urged governments, donors and development partners to immediately mobilise resources, strengthen frontline response operations, expand surveillance and contact tracing, and ensure affected communities receive the support needed to prevent further loss of life.
