Ebola cases in DRC hit 5,515 as Pope Leo urges global action to save lives

DR Congo miners risk Ebola to create a living. Published On 24 Aug 202624 Aug 2026.

Key points

• Some 16, 250 doses of the vaccine arrived in the DRC on Friday.
• Contact tracing, nevertheless, has improved sharply, from 30 percent in June to more than 85 percent.
• Abdulsalami Nasidi, a public health consultant who supported establish the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, informed Al Jazeera that the outbreak was "getting out of hand".
• The WHO has pledged 70, 000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine.
• Despite the surging cases, Uganda and a number of health zones in DRC's Ituri and South Kivu have interrupted transmission.

In practice, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reached 5, 515 confirmed cases of infection and killed 2, 642 individuals, with 51 new cases detected in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, according to the latest administration figures.

Notably, the update on Sunday came as Pope Leo pressed ⁠international action to assist contain the epidemic. It is now the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the DRC's history.

Declared in mid-May, it is the DRC's 17th Ebola epidemic and was designated a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO), its highest alert level, additionally covering neighbouring Uganda.

Meanwhile, the outbreak is now on track to surpass the deadliest Ebola epidemic on record. It was the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa that killed more than 11, 000 individuals.

According to administration figures, the case fatality rate in the DRC has climbed from concerning 20 percent in early June to almost 48 percent now, meaning almost one in two residents infected are dying.

In practice, the disease has additionally proved deadly for those fighting it. Regarding 160 health workers have been infected, and concerning 45 have died, according to the WHO.

Efforts to contain the outbreak, nevertheless, have been hampered by armed conflict in the affected provinces, displacement, attacks on medical personnel and facilities, a mobile working population and a lack of critical infrastructure. Vaccines arrive in DRC.

There is no approved vaccine or treatment for this particular strain of Ebola, known as Bundibugyo. It is rarer than the virus type behind most past outbreaks.

Meanwhile, the WHO has pledged 70, 000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine. It is licensed for Ebola and has been effective in past outbreaks. According to the global body, early data from animal trials suggest it may offer some protection against Bundibugyo.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and other authorities stated the response in the DRC needs to be scaled up two to threefold to contain the outbreak and reach every affected area.

They additionally called on more backing and protection for front-line health workers, including protective equipment, timely payment, and access to rapid diagnosis and high-quality supportive care if they fall ill.

He blamed subdued infection control measures and a lack of trust between authorities and affected communities for the continued transmission.

"This is no longer just a national or regional matter; it is a global problem. If it spreads to neighbouring places with lower immunity, it will be a disaster, " Nasidi continued.

Notably, the WHO at present rates the risk to the global public as low, but warns that the danger inside the DRC remains highly high.

Despite the surging cases, Uganda and a number of health zones in DRC's Ituri and South Kivu have interrupted transmission. It the WHO stated is evidence that rapid detection, decisive leadership, and community cooperation can break the chain of transmission.

At the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Leo offered prayers for the DRC, "in light of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which is sadly ⁠claiming many lives". The pontiff additionally called on global action to support save lives.

"I urge the international community to ⁠respond in a way that also involves local communities ⁠in prevention efforts to save ⁠as many lives as possible, " he remarked.

For now, ebola cases in DRC hit 5, 515 as Pope Leo urges global action remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.