WHO reports 344 confirmed Ebola cases in DRC as outbreak crosses borders

Key points

• World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus announced that confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC have reached 344, with 60 deaths documented.
• Enhanced laboratory testing capacity has successfully lowered the backlog of suspected cases from over 1,000 down to 116.
• The outbreak has expanded across 24 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces, keeping the national risk assessment very high.
• The virus has crossed international borders, resulting in 15 confirmed cases in Uganda and an infected U.S. citizen receiving treatment in Germany.
• Response efforts are currently hindered by five major challenges, including low contact tracing levels, community mistrust, and a lack of approved vaccines.

Main Story

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, has disclosed that confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have risen to 344 infections, with 60 deaths recorded so far.

Speaking during a news conference, Ghebreyesus explained that a recent expansion in laboratory testing capacity across affected areas has significantly reduced the backlog of suspected cases from over 1,000 down to 116.

The WHO chief provided the update following an official visit to the outbreak epicentre in Ituri Province, where he engaged with political leaders, community groups, and frontline health responders. Despite ongoing containment efforts, the global health agency’s latest risk assessment remains very high at the national level, high regionally, and low globally.

The geographic scale of the crisis presents severe difficulties for response teams, with confirmed infections now spread across 24 health zones spanning Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces. Medical authorities have scaled up treatment facilities, establishing three active centers with an 80-bed capacity in Bunia, alongside operational units in Mongbwalu, Rwampara, Beni, Goma, and Bukavu.

While six individuals have successfully recovered in the DRC and two in Uganda, tracking efforts remain deficient. Contact tracing is currently operating at just 45 percent, falling well short of the 90 percent target required to stop the disease from spreading.

The outbreak has officially crossed international borders, with Uganda registering 15 confirmed cases and one fatality, which includes a Congolese resident who had traveled through the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, a U.S. citizen who contracted the virus in the DRC is currently undergoing medical treatment in Germany.

In response, the WHO is working directly with authorities in Uganda and the UAE to manage contact tracing and exposure risks. To overcome operational delays, the agency is decentralizing its laboratory network to regions like Mongbwalu, Beni, Aru, Nyakunde, and Tchomia. Furthermore, the WHO has convened its Medical Countermeasures Network to expedite diagnostic and clinical trials, promising to remain on the ground post-outbreak to help build resilient health systems under government leadership.

The Issues

• Expanding critical contact tracing from 45 percent to the mandatory 90 percent target needed to disrupt the active chain of transmission.
• Overcoming widespread community mistrust and skepticism from local leaders who still doubt the existence of the virus.
• Countering blanket travel restrictions that disrupt emergency supply chains instead of utilizing recommended exit screening methods.

What’s Being Said

• Outlining the expansion of specialized infrastructure alongside current patient recovery and tracking metrics, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus said: “Treatment capacity has expanded with three centres and 80 beds now open in Bunia, plus units in Mongbwalu, Rwampara, Beni, Goma and Bukavu. Six people have recovered in DRC and two in Uganda, but contact tracing still lags at 45 per cent against the 90 per cent target needed to control spread,”
• Explaining the first three distinct operational hurdles that are currently slowing down the international medical response, Ghebreyesus stated: “First, testing delays persist, so WHO is decentralising labs to Mongbwalu, Beni, Aru, Nyakunde and Tchomia. Second, only 45 per cent of contacts are being followed in DRC due to insecurity and displacement. Third, blanket travel restrictions are disrupting supply chains in spite of WHO recommending exit screening instead.”
• Detailing the final two systemic challenges regarding public skepticism and the current status of medical interventions, he said: “Fourth, community mistrust remains high, with some leaders still doubting Ebola is real. Building trust is now a core priority and Fifth, there are still no approved vaccines or therapeutics,”
• Expressing absolute confidence in the eventual containment of the current crisis, the WHO chief declared: “Our ultimate measure of success is not whether we stop this outbreak. We will.”
• Pointing out the historical capability of the host nation to suppress similar biological threats, he observed: “DRC has stopped 16 previous Ebola outbreaks.”
• Emphasizing that long-term humanitarian success must focus on broader systemic health instead of just single-pathogen eradication, he concluded: “The real measure is what we do to prevent the 18th and 19th, if communities survive Ebola only to die from malaria, malnutrition or other diseases, we have not really helped them. WHO pledged to stay after the outbreak ends to help build stronger health and humanitarian services under government leadership,’

What’s Next

• WHO field teams will deploy decentralized laboratories to Mongbwalu, Beni, Aru, Nyakunde, and Tchomia to minimize testing delays.
• The Medical Countermeasures Network will accelerate diagnostic and trial frameworks due to the total absence of approved vaccines or therapeutics.
• Health coordinators will partner with local community leaders to resolve deep-seated mistrust and improve contact tracing amid regional insecurity.

Bottom Line

The WHO has confirmed 344 Ebola cases and 60 deaths in the DRC, warning that the outbreak has spread to Uganda and impacted international travelers, while calling for urgent action to fix lagging contact tracing and overcome community mistrust in the absence of approved vaccines.

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