Democratic Republic of Congo

August 11, 2026 4:27 PM

Ebola deaths surpass 2,000 in Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo said on Tuesday that confirmed Ebola deaths had reached 2,011, the latest grim milestone in what health officials have described as the fastest-spreading outbreak on record. The latest data from Congo's public health institute, seen by Reuters, also reported 4,381 confirmed cases across five provinces. Delayed detection, conflict and strained health services have helped the virus spread more rapidly than in previous outbreaks. The current outbreak, Congo's 17th, i...

August 4, 2026 4:16 PM

Treatment trials for Ebola strain behind Congo outbreak show promise, WHO says

Testing of experimental treatments, preventive medicines and vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola behind Democratic Republic of Congo's ongoing outbreak is advancing rapidly, the U.N.'s World Health Organization said on Tuesday. The epidemic — the second-largest and fastest-spreading on record — was caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. But Vasee Moorthy, acting head of WHO's R&D Blueprint programme, told journ...

July 16, 2026 9:18 AM

US quarantine order for Americans returning from Congo will hurt Ebola response, aid group says

Washington's newpolicy that says American citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where there is an Ebola outbreak, must spend 21 days in a third country before entering the U.S. will hinder the response to the epidemic, the head of a large American aid group said. Franklin Graham, the CEO of an organization that operates Ebola treatment centers and deploys what he described as the largest number of American responders in Congo, said that he will have to scale back the mission...

July 15, 2026 3:29 PM

MSF urges Ebola response scale-up as Congo outbreak nears 2,000 cases

The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading faster than efforts to contain it, global medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned on Wednesday, calling for an urgent expansion of containment and care measures. The number of confirmed Ebola cases had tripled in less than five weeks to 1,926, including 702 deaths, as of Sunday, official data showed, making it the third-largest and the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, according to MSF. The charity oper...

July 9, 2026 1:09 PM

New Congo province has suspected Ebola case as deaths hit 600, report says

The Democratic Republic of Congo said on Wednesday that suspected Ebola cases had been reported in a new province, highlighting the expansion of the ongoing outbreak as deaths hit 600. The outbreak, declared on May 15, has so far infected 1,759 people across the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, according to the government's latest situation report published Wednesday night. But that case total does not include two cases in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province and ...

June 1, 2026 10:10 AM

Ebola recoveries bring signs of hope in DRC as suspected cases emerge outside Africa

Four nurses who were being treated for Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus have been discharged from a hospital in Bunia in the Democratic Republic of Congo after recovering from the disease, the World Health Organization said on Sunday. More recoveries are expected, especially when people are diagnosed early and able to access care, and as the response to the outbreak intensifies. A laboratory worker had also recovered earlier this week, the agency said, bringing the total numb...

May 29, 2026 3:30 PM

WHO says 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths from Bundibugyo strain of Ebola

The World Health Organization said on Friday that there are 906 suspected cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 223 suspected deaths that are being investigated. An outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is continuing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with cases also reported in Uganda. There have been 125 confirmed cases of Ebola in the DRC, including 17 confirmed deaths in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. There have also been seven confirmed cases of Ebola...

May 27, 2026 10:47 AM

Russian scientists develop vaccine for new Ebola strain: Moscow

Russia has announced that its scientists have developed a vaccine against a new strain of the Ebola virus linked to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Russian Embassy in South Africa, in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday, said, “Russian scientists have developed a vaccine against a new Ebola strain, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko announced. According to Russian scientists, the vaccine may also protect against the rare Bundibugyo strain linked to t...

May 19, 2026 9:14 AM

Health workers race to contain Congo’s fast-spreading Ebola outbreak

Medical personnel were rushing on Monday to the frontlines of a new Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where an American missionary was among those who tested positive for the often fatal viral disease. While Congo has experience tackling Ebola, the late detection and quick spread of this outbreak have alarmed health experts. The World Health Organization has declared it a public health emergency of international concern because of the high risk the disease could spread fur...

March 3, 2026 8:12 PM

US struggling to de-risk Congo’s ‘war zone minerals’ even after pact, sources say

The U.S. has made progress in its push to prise Congo's strategic minerals from China's orbit, but conflict, contested licences and compliance demands are still slowing Washington's advance into a region its rival dominates, diplomats and industry officials said. Democratic Republic of Congo, which hosts the world's largest cobalt supply and rich copper and lithium reserves, is central to the U.S. push to cut the West's reliance on China for rare minerals. After the U.S. and Congo signed a min...