The Lessons About Ebola the U.S. Wants to Forget
An ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is projected to become one of the deadliest in history. The author argues that while global containment capabilities have improved, the United States is losing its institutional memory and commitment to responding to such crises.
Why it matters
It underscores the danger of complacency in global health security and the necessity of sustained international coordination for disease control.
The world’s capacity to control the disease has improved in the past decade, but only because of dedicated investment and coordination.
Benediction Murhabazi / AFP / Getty July 16, 2026, 3:45 PM ET Share Save The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is now the third-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded. It will likely pass the second largest, an outbreak in the same region of Congo from 2018 to 2020. Already, the current outbreak has grown past 2,000 cases and to 754 deaths; according to the World Health Organization, it is likely to reach more than 8,000 cases and 1,400 deaths by mid-September. The CDC ’s worst-case scenario projects more than 20,000 cases by mid-August.
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