Story perspectives

Ebola in DRC Tops 5,000 Cases as Spread Fears Grow

8/20/2026

Summary

WHO Urges Containment

Ebola in the DRC has topped 5,000 cases and killed over 2,320 people.
WHO officials Thierno Balde and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus say containment is possible within three months but the epidemic remains far from control, urging aid.
The virus reached Bas-Uélé, the sixth province, raising fears of spread to the Central African Republic.
WHO has raised 60% of a $115 million appeal and reports no approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain.

Summary

Residents Attack

Residents in Aru attacked a health team, set fire to an ambulance and damaged two vehicles.
Ituri health workers struck after three months of unpaid wages, closing a treatment centre.
Nearly one million people are displaced in the mineral-rich Ituri region.
The outbreak spread to rebel-controlled North Kivu and South Kivu, where M23 dominates.
Humanitarian funding fell in 2025 after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration froze foreign-aid, weakening health capacity.

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WHO Urges Containment

Ebola in the DRC has topped 5,000 cases and killed over 2,320 people.
WHO officials Thierno Balde and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus say containment is possible within three months but the epidemic remains far from control, urging aid.
The virus reached Bas-Uélé, the sixth province, raising fears of spread to the Central African Republic.
WHO has raised 60% of a $115 million appeal and reports no approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain.

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