Ebola in DR Congo: 9,765 cases, WHO warns

Update: TrendDesh reported on 23 October that the outbreak had reached an eighth province. This story adds new case and death figures and WHO and WFP warnings from 23 October.

Ebola in DR Congo has now caused 9,765 cases and 4,727 deaths, UN agencies said on Friday, 23 October 2026, warning that more resources are needed to fight the disease and to feed patients and their families.

Ebola in DR Congo: A UN peacekeeper in Bunia, eastern DR Congo, gives schoolchildren information about the threat of Ebola — A UN peacekeeper in Bunia, eastern DR Congo, gives schoolchildren information about the threat of Ebola Photo: UNICEF/Josue Mulala via UN News (editorial use with credit).

Where Ebola in DR Congo stands now

The Democratic Republic of the Congo remains the epicentre of an outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease that was officially declared in mid-May, UN News reported. It began in the volatile east and has spread to eight provinces, the latest being Nord-Ubangi in the northwest. Around 30,000 contacts are being monitored each day over a three-week period. A smaller outbreak in Uganda was declared over in August, while cases have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria and France. Dr Catherine Smallwood, the WHO incident manager in DRC, warned that if efforts ease, the virus will resurge quickly and threaten the country, the region and the world.

Key Facts

Cases to date: 9,765
Deaths: 4,727
Provinces affected: 8 (latest Nord-Ubangi)
Contacts monitored daily: about 30,000
Treatment beds: 2,000+ of a 3,000 target; survivors: 2,600

“If we lift the foot off the pedal, the virus will resurge very quickly.”
— Dr Catherine Smallwood, WHO incident manager in DRC

Bundibugyo virus response: beds, survivors and late detection

Speaking from Bunia, Dr Smallwood said the outbreak, nearly six months old, is spreading across a vast area and into remote places that can take days to reach by boat or motorcycle. She said deaths outside recognised treatment centres remain a big flag of late detection in communities, although the past week saw a decline in such deaths. In parts of eastern DRC, patients visit two to five health facilities before being referred to Ebola treatment centres, which she called a really big challenge. WHO set a target of 3,000 beds and more than 2,000 are now available. She said 2,600 people in DRC have survived Ebola, and clinics are opening to support them. She said improvements in the quality of care at treatment centres had been significant. Survivor clinics offer monitoring for the virus and related conditions, as well as psychosocial support.

World Food Programme warns of hunger

The crisis is unfolding amid conflict, hunger and displacement, and the World Food Programme (WFP) is working to make sure affected families have enough to eat, UN News said. WFP is also helping build Ebola treatment centres. WFP’s representative in DRC, David Stevenson, described a woman who lost a child to Ebola and is raising her six surviving children and a baby in her care, but cannot reach her fields because of violence. “This is what a crisis on top of a crisis looks like: disease and bereavement, compounded by insecurity and hunger,” he said from Kinshasa. UN News also reported good news from Kenya, where authorities have strengthened containment. Dr Smallwood spoke to journalists in Geneva by video from Bunia.

Why It Matters: With no proven vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain, early detection, contact tracing and food support remain the main ways to stop spread.

Source: UN News, 23 Oct 2026 · WHO: Ebola disease fact sheet · WFP: DR Congo