WHO warns DR Congo Ebola outbreak is outpacing response

GENEVA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 17th Jul, 2026) The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the third largest on record and is spreading faster than any previous one during the first month of exposure, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Thursday.

Addressing reporters in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the two-month-old outbreak has continued to expand despite major efforts by the Government, WHO, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other partners.

“So far, 2,273 cases have been reported, with 796 deaths,” he said.

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“By comparison, the 2018–2019 Ebola outbreak in DRC took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases.”

Tedros said intense transmission in Ituri province in DRC’s restive eastern region remains WHO's biggest concern.

More than 80 % of new infections are being detected outside known contact lists, indicating that transmission chains are continuing undetected, while about two-thirds of deaths occur in communities among people who never receive treatment in a health facility.

“Despite the progress we have made, the outbreak in DRC is continuing to outpace the response,” he warned.