Ebola outbreak in DR Congo: The numbers raise urgent questions

More than 3,000 people have died in less than four months as Ebola continues its deadly advance through the Democratic Republic of Congo. The outbreak has reached about 60 health zones in six provinces, and the figures published by the country’s national public health institute cover only known and recorded cases.

That qualification makes the toll even more troubling. The country’s security problems are already complicating the response, while its public health network faces the challenge of covering a vast central African territory. The reported fatality rate has also climbed sharply, from 28% a few weeks ago to nearly 50%.

The figures have prompted direct questions for the Congolese authorities. Why have so many people died in such a short period? Why has the fatality rate risen so quickly? Are there weaknesses in the response system, particularly as the epidemic’s peak may not yet have passed?

The current outbreak, officially declared in mid-May 2026, has already become the deadliest Ebola epidemic the country has recorded. The previous outbreak, in 2018-2020, caused about 2,300 deaths among fewer than 3,400 confirmed cases. The new virus is Bundibugyo, and there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the disease.

Limited resources for treating patients and continuing insecurity in the east, where the outbreak is also active, add to the risks. Community resistance has created another barrier. Some people have refused physical-distancing and hand-washing measures, as well as instructions for handling and burying people who have died. The lack of adherence is reflected in rising infections and the epidemic’s expansion.