Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo Sets Record for Highest First-Month Cases

The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated on Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded the highest number of confirmed cases in the first month of any outbreak in history. The DR Congo government reported on Tuesday that the death toll from Ebola has reached 267 people, while the number of confirmed cases has risen to 1,048. The current fatality rate has also exceeded 25 per cent. “This outbreak continues to expand … It is the largest number of confirmed cases in the first month of an Ebola outbreak in Africa,” said Abdirahman Mahamud, Director of the WHO’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Department, in Geneva. He assessed that epidemiological surveillance in DR Congo needs to be strengthened, including in areas where cases have not yet been reported. Abdirahman also added that 84 per cent of hospital bed capacity has been filled. This, he said, aims to ensure that the Ebola outbreak does not disrupt the country’s entire health system, while also providing “healthcare beyond Ebola”. In May 2026, the WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. The UN agency assessed the risk of further spread in the region as high.