The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing the deadliest and fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak in its history, with more than 5,000 confirmed cases and over 2,300 deaths recorded since the outbreak was officially declared in May 2026. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on 18 August that the epidemic is "far from under control," calling for faster data sharing, sustained funding, stronger cross-border coordination, and improved security guarantees for health workers. The outbreak, now a Public Health Emergency of International Concern — the WHO's highest alert level — has already surpassed the 2018–2020 DRC outbreak, which killed 2,299 people, and the WHO has warned it is on track to exceed the 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic, the deadliest on record, which claimed more than 11,000 lives.

Unlike previous major outbreaks caused by the Zaire strain of Ebola, for which vaccines and treatments exist, this outbreak is driven by Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a rarer form of Ebola first identified in Uganda in 2007. No licensed vaccines or specific approved therapies currently exist for BVD, leaving health workers reliant on early detection, supportive care, infection prevention, and community engagement. Two candidate vaccines specifically designed against the Bundibugyo strain have now entered human clinical trials for the first time, and an international clinical trial sponsored by the WHO now includes 100 patients — a cautious but significant development.

Approximately 90% of cases are concentrated in Ituri Province, a region in northeastern DRC that has endured decades of armed conflict over its mineral-rich territory. Warning signs emerged as early as 2 April, weeks before authorities officially declared the outbreak on 15 May, after three medical staff at Mongbwalu General Hospital died following treatment of the same surgical patient. The delay in detection, compounded by a lack of local laboratory capacity and uncontrolled movement of sick individuals between affected areas, allowed chains of transmission to take hold before response teams were fully deployed. Laboratory capacity has since expanded to more than 12 facilities in Ituri Province.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned that the outbreak is outpacing health authorities' ability to respond. "The speed and growth and spread of this outbreak is much, much bigger" than previous crises, said MSF emergency coordinator Trish Newport, who called for a massive scale-up of preventive activities in zones not yet affected. Compounding the medical challenge, ambulances have been attacked, health teams face regular hostility from frightened communities, and armed conflict makes access to some areas impossible. The WHO's own concern includes the fact that many people are dying outside treatment centres and beyond the reach of known contact lists.

The Congolese government has pushed back against some of the most alarming characterisations, with Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba noting that the 55 affected health zones represent roughly 8% of the country's total, and describing the response as "robust." Authorities are also preparing for the upcoming school year, with 40% of schools in the six affected provinces located in areas recording Ebola cases and 13% in high-risk zones. Rather than postponing the school year, authorities plan to implement distance learning via radio broadcasts and distributed printed materials for the most exposed pupils. For communities already living under conditions of poverty, insecurity, and poor governance, however, the epidemic has deepened an already profound humanitarian crisis.