The World Health Organization has raised fresh concerns over the escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), warning that the disease has become the country’s largest recorded epidemic, with more than 3,600 confirmed infections and nearly 1,600 deaths.
In its latest situation report released on Saturday, the global health body said 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths had been recorded as of July 30, describing the outbreak as a rapidly evolving public health emergency driven by sustained transmission and widening geographical spread.
The WHO said the increasing number of infections and fatalities underscores the urgent need for a significant scale-up of emergency response efforts to halt transmission.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, was initially restricted to the Mongbwalu Health Zone in Ituri Province but has now spread to five provinces—Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo—affecting 49 health zones.
According to the agency, epidemiological week 30 recorded the highest weekly toll since the outbreak began, with 567 confirmed cases and 296 deaths.
“The continued increase in cases, expanding geographic spread, and persistently high mortality underscore the rapidly evolving nature of this public health emergency,” WHO said.
It added that while response measures have been intensified, existing interventions remain insufficient to contain the outbreak.
The agency attributed the worsening situation to persistent insecurity, large-scale population displacement, high human mobility and frequent cross-border movements, all of which continue to hamper surveillance, contact tracing and treatment efforts.
WHO said the Congolese government, working with the organisation and other partners, has strengthened disease surveillance, case management, laboratory testing, contact tracing, community engagement and infection prevention measures.
However, it stressed that considerably more resources would be required to stay ahead of the outbreak.
“National authorities in the DRC, in collaboration with WHO and partners, continue to implement extensive response measures. However, a substantial scaling up of response activities is needed to get ahead of the outbreak,” the organisation stated.
It also noted that a regional preparedness framework remains active to support neighbouring African countries at risk of cross-border transmission.
Uganda Ends Outbreak, But Risk Persists
Despite the worsening crisis in the DRC, Uganda has officially declared an end to its Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak after completing 42 consecutive days without recording a new locally transmitted confirmed case.
WHO said Uganda’s Ministry of Health made the declaration on July 28 after the last locally infected patient was discharged from treatment on June 16.
The agency, however, disclosed that surveillance would continue for another 42 days following the discharge of the country’s most recent imported case on July 16 to ensure no hidden chains of transmission remain.
It warned that Uganda remains vulnerable to fresh imported infections because of the continuing outbreak in neighbouring DRC.
Nigeria Heightens Preparedness
The development comes as Nigerian health authorities intensify preparedness against a possible importation of the virus.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has already classified the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high, despite the country having no confirmed case.
The agency attributed the elevated risk to the ongoing transmission in the DRC and neighbouring countries, increased international travel, porous land borders and cross-border population movements.
To reduce the risk of importation, the NCDC has directed states to strengthen disease surveillance, enhance screening at points of entry, reinforce infection prevention and control measures in health facilities, and ensure the rapid detection, isolation and management of suspected cases.
Lessons From 2014
The resurgence of Ebola in Central Africa has also revived memories of Nigeria’s successful containment of the virus in 2014 after an infected Liberian-American traveller, Patrick Sawyer, introduced the disease into Lagos.
Health experts, however, caution that the current outbreak presents a different challenge because it is caused by the Bundibugyo strain rather than the Zaire strain responsible for the 2014 West African epidemic.
Unlike the Zaire strain, there is currently no licensed vaccine or approved targeted treatment for Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease, making early detection, aggressive surveillance and strict public health measures critical to preventing another regional health crisis.
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