According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of August 26, 2026, the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo reached 5,794, including 2,786 deaths.
This outbreak, the largest in the country's history, has spread to 60 health zones across six provinces: Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tshopo.
Despite ongoing efforts to contain the spread, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent action and funding to strengthen the fight against the disease.
Guterres stated: 'We know how to contain Ebola, how to interrupt transmission and save lives, but we must also overcome another virus: the virus of indifference.'
The Democratic Republic of Congo began vaccinating frontline medical staff against Ebola on Thursday after the WHO provided 70,000 doses of the drug Ervebo for use in the country.
However, the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The drug Ervebo is licensed for Zaire ebolavirus, and in the current outbreak, it is being used to assess its potential protection against Bundibugyo.