Ebola death toll in DR Congo surpasses 500 as risk of wider spread increases

The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 500, according to a government report cited by the Congolese News Agency. The data showed 253 recoveries, 1,561 confirmed cases including 506 fatalities, and 628 hospitalisations. The case fatality rate is estimated at 32.4 per cent. In May 2026, the World Health Organisation declared the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern, assessing the risk of further spread in the region as high. On 29 June, the Congolese government banned mass gatherings in the capital Kinshasa and the provinces of Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele to prevent the virus from spreading, Radio Okapi reported. Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani announced the decision in a circular to affected provincial governors on 27 June 2026, citing the increased health risks linked to the spread of Ebola in several parts of the country.