Geneva, July 4, 2026
The World Health Organization (WHO) has registered 452 deaths and 1,460 confirmed infections in the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo by early July.
Current case numbers
The outbreak, about which the WHO informed on Friday (July 3), has thus reached a new peak. The overwhelming majority of confirmed cases are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Ebola has recurred for decades. Local health authorities are working at full speed on containment measures, contact tracing, and the care of those infected.
The WHO pointed out that the reported figures may underestimate the actual scale of the outbreak, as access to laboratories and health facilities is limited in many affected areas. International partner organizations are supporting the country with diagnostics and the transport of samples in order to interrupt chains of infection more quickly.
Challenges on the ground
Health experts see several factors that are worsening the outbreak. These include the mobility of the population across provincial borders, insufficient capacities at some health facilities, and security problems in parts of the country that hamper aid workers. Concerns about cross-border spread are also growing, including to Uganda.