Posted by Chinenye on Wed 11th Nov, 2026 - tori.ng
The Ebola outbreak in Congo is getting worse, with thousands infected and many people losing their lives.
(Health Workers. Photo by Voice of Nigeria)
More than 11,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo have caught Ebola making this the worst outbreak the country has ever seen, according to government numbers shared on Wednesday.
The National Institute of Public Health says 11,042 people have been infected and 5,387 have died.
About 2,990 have recovered.
The outbreak was officially declared in May in Ituri province, but experts believe it started weeks or even months earlier.
It has since spread to seven other provinces, with most cases in Ituri and North Kivu. Cases have also been reported in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria.
There are no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain behind this outbreak.
The World Health Organization has said the Ervebo vaccine, which is approved for another strain, will be tested in a full human trial in DR Congo to see whether it offers any protection.
Conflict is making the response harder.
Youths set fire to a health centre treating Ebola patients in Lolwa, Ituri, on Sunday, and clashes between militias briefly halted the health response in Fataki, according to the UN.
Islamic State linked ADF rebels have also carried out deadly attacks in Ituri, Haut Uele and North Kivu.