Kinshasa, May 25th, 2026 (CPA).- The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday announced, during a ministerial briefing organized by the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the mobilization of USD 20 million to strengthen the response to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola outbreak. “The Congolese Government has already released 20 million dollars to support the response,” disclosed Roger Kamba, Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare. He indicated that this financial mobilization comes at a time when the epidemic is expanding across 11 health zones located in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. The Government therefore called on international partners for increased commitment in the face of a health situation considered worrying in the three affected provinces.
A health situation under close surveillance
According to figures presented during the briefing, the epidemic has currently recorded more than 900 cases, over 200 suspected deaths and nearly 1,600 contacts under monitoring in the affected areas. The Minister of Health also referred to the recent death of a doctor involved in treating patients, describing the loss as a symbol of “the brutality” of this new epidemic outbreak. “We are facing a particularly aggressive epidemic,” Mr Kamba pointed out, estimating that the current situation presents a level of severity comparable to the major outbreak that affected eastern DRC between 2018 and 2020. The provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu remain the main areas under reinforced surveillance, the minister said, citing measures already deployed by authorities including screening, community awareness and health monitoring.
Call for stronger international engagement
The medical team is preparing to bury the victims
Given the scale of the situation, the Congolese Government pleaded for stronger mobilisation of international partners to support efforts deployed on the ground. For health authorities, the fight against Ebola requires not only substantial financial resources, but also sustained logistical, medical and scientific support. Minister Kamba insisted on the need for “engagement commensurate with the challenge” from the international community, recalling that the DRC remains one of the most experienced countries in Ebola outbreak management due to previous epidemics recorded on its territory.
A 17th outbreak since 1976
The DRC is currently facing its 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976 in the former Zaire. The Bundibugyo strain, responsible for the current outbreak, is considered one of the Ebola variants that has already caused several epidemic episodes in the Great Lakes region. Previous outbreaks have enabled the country to develop recognized expertise in epidemiological surveillance, community follow-up, targeted vaccination and management of confirmed cases. Health authorities are currently continuing surveillance operations, contact tracing and awareness campaigns in the affected zones to limit the risk of the virus spreading to other provinces or neighboring countries.