The World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have called for an urgent expansion of community-led efforts to control the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
As of 4 August 2026, the DRC had reported 3,973 confirmed cases, 1,801 deaths and 776 recoveries across 51 health zones in five provinces. In addition, authorities recorded 99 new cases and 52 deaths in a single 24-hour period.
Contact Tracing Needs to Improve
Meanwhile, health authorities are following up with 75% of identified contacts, below the 95% target needed to quickly detect new infections and break transmission chains. Treatment centres are also under severe pressure, with occupancy in North Kivu reaching 139%.
As per WHO, the response must focus on earlier case detection, stronger contact tracing and bringing testing, isolation and treatment services closer to affected communities.
Communities at the Centre of the Response
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The WHO and Africa CDC stressed that community trust will play a crucial role in stopping the outbreak. Local, religious, women and youth leaders can help people recognise symptoms, report cases early and seek treatment without fear.
However, insecurity, population movement, poor roads, misinformation and shortages of supplies continue to slow the response.
Uganda Shows Containment Is Possible
Meanwhile, Uganda demonstrated that rapid action can contain Ebola. The country declared its outbreak over on 28 July 2026, after reporting 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. WHO and Africa CDC credited early detection, contact tracing, community engagement and cross-border surveillance for the successful response.
Therefore, WHO and Africa CDC are urging governments and international partners to increase funding, expand treatment and laboratory capacity, protect frontline health workers and strengthen cross-border surveillance.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that Ebola is outpacing the response in some parts of eastern DRC, making faster action and greater international support essential.
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