Ebola: the death toll in DRC passes 1,500

Kinshasa, July 30^th, 2026 (CPA). – More than 1,500 deaths from Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the Ministry in charge of Health’s epidemiological situation report, consulted on Thursday by CPA. “The epidemiological indicators show that 3,442 cases of EVD have been recorded, including 1,521 deaths,” it is read. According to the same source, 797 patients are currently hospitalised and 615 people have recovered. The overall case fatality rate stands at 44.2% and the contact tracing rate is 78.3%. The report specifies that 49 health zones are affected by the outbreak across five provinces: Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu, Ituri, Tshopo and Haut-Uele. To combat the disease, clinical trials of a treatment called ‘Ebopep’ against the Bundibungyo strain – which originated from this 17^thEbola outbreak – have been launched on Tuesday at the Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) in Rwampara, in Ituri Province. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing its 17^th Ebola outbreak, a highly contagious disease first discovered on its soil in 1976. Whilst the Zaire strain has historically caused the highest death tolls in the east of the country, the emergence of the Bundibungyo strain in this new wave represents a major public health challenge. The launching of the ‘Ebopep’ clinical trial marks a crucial step towards validating an appropriate therapeutic response, as the country now relies on local expertise and standardised care protocols to contain the cross-border spread of the virus.