Published on: 2026-08-11
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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August 11, 2026 Healthcare
The number of deaths from Ebola fever caused by the Bundibugyo virus has exceeded two thousand, with half of the fatalities recorded in the last 20 days. This was reported by the UN citing the authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The current Ebola outbreak was declared by the DRC health authorities on May 15. Two days later, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized it as a public health emergency of international concern.
More than four thousand cases have been confirmed so far. The current outbreak is the second largest and fastest-growing in the history of monitoring. The only larger one was the epidemic in West Africa in 2014–2016, which claimed more than 11 thousand lives.
Just three months after the start of the current outbreak, the death toll has already approached the number of victims from the 2018–2020 epidemic.
Concerns about virus mutation
As the virus is rapidly spreading, local health officials recently expressed concerns that it may mutate. The director of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently met with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to discuss the threat of a possible virus mutation.
There are no approved vaccines or treatment methods yet. Vaccine trials have been approved in Canada and the United Kingdom, but the results will likely be known only in a few months. Clinical studies of treatment methods for the disease are being conducted in the Ituri province – the epicenter of the outbreak.
The senior UN coordinator for the Ebola issue in the DRC, Julien Harnais, stated that humanitarian workers, organizations, governments, donors, and local communities “must do more” and act more swiftly to save lives.
Violence and geographical conditions hinder the fight against the outbreak
Efforts to combat the outbreak are complicated by ongoing violence in the remote and mineral-rich region. The problem is also worsened by a lack of accessible medical care for vulnerable populations.
“Together with our partners, we continue to support response measures, but our work is hindered by the lack of safe conditions,” said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq on Tuesday.
At least 12 medical facilities treating Ebola patients have been attacked. This is largely due to fear, misinformation, and profound mistrust of external entities among the local population.
Additional difficulties are caused by the ongoing conflict in the east of the DRC between the country’s armed forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 group.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, at least 13 civilians were killed on Friday in an attack on the village of Banana-Ecole in Ituri Province, several others were kidnapped, and residential houses were burned. More than 28,000 people fled their homes. According to media reports, the attack was likely carried out by a local group affiliated with ISIS (ISIL).
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