Kinshasa, September 17th, 2025 (CPA).- The on-going Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic in the Bulape health zone in the province of Kasai, in the centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been described as a threat to public health by the WHO in its report on the epidemic, which was received by the CPA on Wednesday.
‘The current epidemic represents a serious threat to public health. The transmission from person to person is sustained, and the infection of health workers increases the risk of spread. The case fatality rate of 50.0% highlights the impact of the epidemic,’ according to the report. According to the report, the strong connectivity of Bulape, which is the epicentre of the epidemic, with larger population centres such as Tshikapa and Kananga, and population movements pose a risk of geographical spread of the virus. Faced with the emergency, the national authorities have deployed a rapid and coordinated response with the support of international partners.
A national incident management team has been set up in Bulape. The WHO has deployed 48 experts to support the government’s efforts. In addition, vaccination is underway in the affected area. The 16th Ebola epidemic was declared on September 4th, 2025, by the Minister in charge of Health, Samuel Roger Kamba, in the Bulape health zone in the territory of Mweka, in Kasai province. As of September 14th, 2025, a total of 54 cases (confirmed, probable and suspected) and 27 deaths have been reported.
Of these, 35 are laboratory-confirmed cases, including 16 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 45.7% for the confirmed cases. Four cases involve health workers. Of the 885 contacts listed, 715 were being monitored on September 14th, 2025. CPA/