Published on: 2026-07-25
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
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Kinshasa, July 25 /Xinhua/ — The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo /DRC/ has risen to 2,973, with 1,309 patients deceased. The Prime Minister of the DRC, Judith Sumimwa Tuluka, warned on Friday that the outbreak could further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the eastern part of the country.
Speaking on Friday in the city of Bunia, the administrative center of the eastern Ituri province and the epicenter of the outbreak, Judith Suminva Tuluka stated that the government allocated 50 million US dollars to combat the epidemic, in addition to the funds provided by international partners.
She emphasized the need to accelerate the delivery and deployment of material and technical resources in the epidemic zone, which continues to expand.
“Right now, the main task is to organize all the necessary material and technical supplies,” Judith Suminva Tuluka pointed out, referring to laboratory equipment, water and oxygen supplies, ambulances, hygiene products, and materials for the safe and dignified burial of the deceased.
The head of government also called for increased vigilance at locations hosting displaced persons in order to prevent further worsening of the humanitarian crisis in Ituri and other areas of eastern DRC in connection with the epidemic.
According to the latest epidemiological report published on Saturday by the DRC health authorities, a total of 540 patients have recovered since the outbreak began, and 766 people are still in quarantine or in hospitals.
As noted in the report, the epidemic is still at the stage of sustained transmission of infection, with the level of virus circulation remaining high. The summary warns that recent fluctuations in the number of registered cases should be interpreted with caution due to reporting delays and gradual data consolidation.
The report also states that infections were identified in 123 healthcare workers and other professionals on the front line of the epidemic response, of whom 36 have died.
According to the prime minister, scientists are currently developing treatments and a vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus strain, which caused the current Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
Expressing hope that a vaccine and treatment method might appear “within two to four months,” Judith Suminwa Tuluka announced that the government has allocated funds for research, but did not disclose details about the current stage of development and possible timelines for obtaining the necessary approvals.
Currently, there is no approved vaccine or specially licensed treatments for the Bundibugyo virus. Several experimental vaccines and drugs are now undergoing clinical trials.
On Friday, the University of Oxford announced that the first volunteer had been vaccinated in the world’s first clinical trial of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine involving humans, designed to protect against the Bundibugyo virus.
An Ebola fever outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus was declared in the DRC on May 15. Since then, it has spread to the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Upper Uele, and Chopo. –0–
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