Congo says more than 1,000 die of Ebola, confirmed cases rise to 2,536
The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a severe Ebola outbreak that has resulted in over 1,000 deaths and 2,536 confirmed cases. Health officials are struggling to contain the virus due to regional militant violence, attacks on medical facilities, and public skepticism.
Why it matters
The outbreak underscores the extreme difficulty of managing public health crises in conflict-ridden regions with limited infrastructure.
FILE PHOTO: Congolese health workers receive a patient at the Rwampara General Hospital in Rwampara outside Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 21, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer//File Photo FILE PHOTO: A member of the M23 rebel group stands guard as provincial authorities visit the Rodolphe Merieux Laboratory, National Biomedical Research Institute (INRB), where samples from suspected Ebola cases are tested, as part of the response to the epidemic in Goma, North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, May 19, 2026. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Congo Ebola outbreak cases are 'top of the iceberg', coalition says 1 of 2 FILE PHOTO: Congolese health workers receive a patient at the Rwampara General Hospital in Rwampara outside Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 21, 2026.
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