Key points
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and health partners will open the country’s largest Ebola treatment centre this week.
- The new facility will have a 100-bed capacity to improve case detection and patient management.
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported 3,605 confirmed Ebola cases and 1,587 deaths as of July 30.
- The current outbreak is the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the DRC, surpassing the 2018–2020 epidemic.
- WHO warned that insecurity, displacement and cross-border movements continue to complicate response efforts.
Main Story
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in collaboration with international health partners, is set to inaugurate the country’s largest Ebola treatment centre this week as authorities intensify efforts to contain the country’s worst-ever Ebola outbreak.
According to the United Nations, the new treatment facility will have a 100-bed capacity, significantly expanding the country’s ability to identify suspected Ebola cases, isolate infected patients and provide specialised treatment.
The announcement comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed that Ebola infections continue to rise rapidly across the country.
As of July 30, the outbreak had resulted in 3,605 confirmed cases, including 1,587 deaths, since it was first declared in mid-May 2025.
The WHO said the current epidemic has now surpassed the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak, which recorded 3,317 confirmed cases, making it the largest Ebola outbreak ever documented in the DRC.
During the latest reporting week, health authorities recorded 567 new confirmed cases and 296 deaths, representing the highest weekly figures since the outbreak began and highlighting the accelerating pace of transmission.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the new treatment centre is expected to improve early detection of suspected cases and facilitate the rapid transfer of confirmed patients for specialised care.
The outbreak has spread to five additional provinces over the past two months and is currently affecting 49 health zones, with active transmission continuing in 33 of them.
Ituri Province remains the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for 88 per cent of confirmed cases and 82.6 per cent of all reported deaths.
The province also hosts approximately 270,000 internally displaced persons living in overcrowded camps, where poor sanitary conditions and frequent population movements have heightened the risk of disease transmission.
To strengthen the response, the United Nations, the United States, the International Medical Corps (IMC) and other humanitarian partners have established additional treatment and transit facilities, including an Ebola transit centre at Kigonze displacement camp near Bunia.
Despite these interventions, the WHO warned that a significant scale-up of response efforts remains necessary to bring the outbreak under control.
The Issues
The outbreak has become the largest Ebola epidemic ever recorded in the DRC.
Ongoing armed conflict and insecurity continue to hinder access to affected communities.
Population displacement, mining-related migration and cross-border movements are accelerating disease transmission.
Overcrowded displacement camps with inadequate sanitation increase the risk of further infections.
Additional funding, healthcare personnel and medical supplies are required to strengthen the response.
What’s Being Said
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
“This week, health partners will also inaugurate the biggest treatment centre of the country, with a 100-bed capacity.”
“The facility will make it easier to identify suspected cases more quickly and refer confirmed Ebola patients to treatment centres.”
Carl Skau, Acting Executive Director, World Food Programme (WFP)
“Ebola is moving fast, hitting people already facing conflict and hunger.”
“Communities are key to ending it but need support.”
World Health Organisation (WHO)
“The convergence of insecurity, population displacement and mobility, and cross-border movements complicate response operations and increase the risk of further geographical spread.”
What’s Next
Health authorities and humanitarian partners are expected to commission the new 100-bed Ebola treatment centre and expand surveillance, testing, contact tracing and treatment across affected provinces.
The WHO and its partners will also continue monitoring the outbreak’s spread while mobilising additional resources to strengthen healthcare delivery, improve community engagement and prevent further cross-border transmission.
Bottom Line
The opening of the DRC’s largest Ebola treatment centre marks a significant step in the response to the country’s worst-ever Ebola outbreak. However, with infections and deaths continuing to rise amid insecurity and mass displacement, sustained international support and rapid intervention remain critical to containing the disease.
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