Second deadliest Ebola outbreak on record spreads across the eastern Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing its second-deadliest Ebola outbreak on record, with over 5,000 confirmed cases and 2,500 deaths. Health officials warn that the virus is spreading rapidly due to regional insecurity and population movement.
Why it matters
The rapid escalation of this epidemic poses a significant threat to public health in Central Africa and requires urgent international intervention.
21 August 2026 facebook icon Red Cross workers prepare to bury Vanisa Anifa, a 6-month-old orphaned girl who died of Ebola, at the Bigo Cemetery, in Bunia, Congo, Friday, June 19, 2026. [AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa] The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had recorded 5,290 confirmed cases of Ebola and 2,516 confirmed deaths as of August 19, across 56 of 151 health zones in six provinces, according to DRC health ministry figures compiled by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control .
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