Nearly two months after an Ebola outbreak was confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the virus continues to spread at an alarming rate, reaching new provinces and infecting a growing number of people. Government data from 8th July indicates 1,759 recorded cases and 600 deaths within the DRC, with the virus also crossing into neighbouring Uganda, where 20 confirmed cases, including two fatalities, have been reported.
This particular outbreak is attributed to the rare Bundibugyo variant of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved treatment or vaccine. Wessam Mankoula, head of emergency preparedness and response for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, recently stated that this is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded, surpassing previous Bundibugyo incidents and all other Ebola virus types. The Congolese health ministry has further reported suspected cases in Tshopo and Haut-Uélé provinces, signaling a continued expansion beyond the initial epicentre in Ituri.
Experts attribute the intensified spread of the disease to a confluence of critical factors. Ongoing armed conflicts, significant cuts in humanitarian aid, and direct attacks on healthcare workers and treatment facilities are severely hampering containment efforts. The outbreak initially emerged in Ituri province in the north-east, a region plagued by long-running conflicts over mineral resources. These conflicts involve various armed groups, complicating humanitarian access and the coordination of medical responses, particularly in areas perceived to be aligned with rival ethnic groups, according to Ladd Serwat, a senior analyst at the Acled conflict monitoring group.
Beyond Ituri, the virus has spread to North Kivu and South Kivu, provinces where the Congolese army and allied militia are engaged in fighting with the M23 rebel coalition. While health workers can navigate these regions, the fragmented control between government and rebel forces creates significant challenges for coordinating medical responses and sharing vital information. An assessment by the International Organisation for Migration earlier this year highlighted that 3.3 million displaced people reside in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, with South Kivu alone hosting 1.2 million, further complicating disease containment efforts amidst population displacement and weak state control.
The situation has been exacerbated by a sharp decline in humanitarian funding for the DRC in 2025. This reduction, largely due to the Trump administration's freezing of foreign aid assistance to programmes funded through the state department, has forced over ten humanitarian organisations to scale back or suspend their activities. Carla Martinez, head of the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the DRC, explained that this funding shortfall has weakened local health systems and surveillance networks, making it harder to detect and contain outbreaks rapidly and increasing the overall risks posed by Ebola and other diseases.
Adding to these challenges, healthcare workers and Ebola treatment centres have repeatedly come under attack in the affected regions, both in the current outbreak and previous ones. These incidents, which include violence, riots, and property damage, severely disrupt the provision of crucial medical care and public health interventions, further hindering the ability to control the epidemic.
Source: Democratic Republic of the Congo government data, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Acled conflict monitoring group, International Organisation for Migration, UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs