Biakato: rise in confirmed Ebola cases; a national delegation investigates the causes

Bunia, October 14^th, 2026 (CPA). – A delegation from the national Ebola response coordination unit, accompanied by partners, has carried out an assessment visit to investigate the causes of the rise in confirmed Ebola cases and deaths in the Biakato health area, located in the Mandima health zone of Mambasa territory in Ituri (north-east) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the provincial coordinator of the National Border Health Programme (PNHF) has indicated on Wednesday he CPA. ‘This mission aims to investigate the causes of the increase in confirmed cases and deaths linked to Ebola virus disease in Biakato, and to provide guidance for better management of the response,’ the provincial coordinator of the PNHF/Ituri, Dr Theophile Ponde has explained. “The number of confirmed cases rose from two in June to 14 in July, then to 20 in August, before reaching 96 in September and 126 in October 2026, illustrating a worrying spread of the disease in this health zone,” he has noted. Furthermore, Dr Ponde has announced that 13 people who had recovered from Ebola virus disease had been discharged, whilst a health zone coordination meeting, held in the presence of the delegation, has helped to identify several challenges relating to the various pillars of the response. “The delegation, led by the incident manager Dr Steve Ahuka and comprising representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has visited the Biakato Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC), where both operations and infrastructure require improvements,” he has explained. Dr Ponde announced that “a public meeting attended by nearly 100 people has also enabled the various parties to express their views on the response. On this occasion, the chief of the Babila Babombi chiefdom has acknowledged the difficulties linked to the events of 2019 and called for turning the page to foster better collaboration with the response teams”. Among the measures envisaged in response to this surge in cases, he has noted, is the immediate establishment of a laboratory in Biakato, with the necessary equipment having been transported to the site by the delegation. This initiative aims to strengthen local diagnostic capabilities and contribute to a more effective response to the spread of the disease in the Mandima health zone, it is emphasised.