Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo: Two Months On, Infections Spreading at Record Speed – International Community Must Scale Up Response Now

MSF nurses putting on protective gear at an Ebola treatment center in South Kivu, June 19, 2026 © Tracy Makhlouf/MSF

Two months have passed since the Ebola outbreak was officially declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). To date, there have been approximately 2,000 confirmed cases and over 700 deaths. The virus is spreading at an unprecedented rate, yet containment efforts remain severely under-resourced. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), responding on the ground, is calling for a significant scale-up of international medical support.

The third-largest outbreak in history within just two months

"Lives are being lost with every delay in response. We are still chasing the outbreak rather than staying ahead of it," said Trish Newport, MSF’s Emergency Response Manager.

"Cases continue to rise, making it increasingly difficult to control the outbreak. A stronger, coordinated international response is essential to ensure that people can access Ebola treatment and other critical healthcare services."

This Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has become the third-largest in history within just two months, spreading at the fastest pace ever recorded. In fewer than five weeks, confirmed cases surged from 650 to around 2,000—an increase of over 200%—while deaths rose from 130 to over 700, more than a fivefold increase. The number of cases in this outbreak has already surpassed half the total cases from the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in the DRC, which lasted nearly two years.

The outbreak continues to spread into new areas. Rural communities, where access to healthcare is limited, surveillance systems are overwhelmed, and treatment centers are at capacity, are not receiving adequate support.

MSF is urging health authorities and humanitarian organizations to rapidly increase resources across all aspects of the Ebola response: community engagement, surveillance, testing and diagnosis, patient care, survivor support, and safe and dignified burial practices. MSF also stresses the need to maintain access to other essential medical services.

Staff transporting a new Ebola patient to a treatment center in Mongwalu, Ituri Province, June 17, 2026 © Alexis Huguet/MSF

Patients arriving in critical condition

The northeastern Ituri Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, accounts for about 90% of all confirmed cases.

"In Mongwalu, a small town in the province, we see the severe consequences of inadequate response every day," said Dr. Ayokunnu Raji, MSF Medical Program Manager.

"Patients are arriving at treatment centers in extremely critical condition, with very low chances of survival. Since MSF began its Ebola response, 57 patients have recovered, but over 110 have died. With increased support from within and outside the country, further transmission and deaths could be prevented."

Sylvie Kachimulikizi, MSF Emergency Coordinator in Bunia, the provincial capital, added:

"The Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia has 90 beds and is nearly always full. Residents tell us they are told to wait at home until a bed becomes available. As a result, patients keep arriving in advanced stages of illness. Many deaths that could have been prevented with early diagnosis and timely treatment are deeply distressing."

Severe patient being transported to the Ebola treatment center in Mongwalu, June 20, 2026 © Alexis Huguet/MSF

Community engagement

While other medical organizations are also working with the Ministry of Health in eastern DRC, major challenges persist.

The DRC’s surveillance system relies on strong community networks and local health structures to detect cases early. However, this system is now overwhelmed, as the Ebola outbreak coincides with multiple concurrent disease outbreaks.

To slow and ultimately stop transmission, it is crucial to strengthen medical and surveillance systems while bringing the response closer to affected communities. This enables earlier detection and isolation of cases. Continued efforts are needed in testing, contact tracing, and strengthening community engagement.

Travel restrictions imposed by Congolese and neighboring governments—including border closures, self-monitoring requirements, and restrictions on humanitarian workers—are making it difficult to deploy and rotate specialized staff.

MSF currently operates seven Ebola treatment centers and over 15 isolation facilities across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tshopo provinces, with a total capacity exceeding 430 beds. From the start of the outbreak to July 14, MSF has admitted at least 968 patients, including 357 confirmed cases. Through treatment and care, MSF has supported the recovery of 116 patients. Additionally, MSF is supporting the Ministry of Health in surveillance and detection activities, community engagement, training, and ensuring safe access to other essential medical services.

The Ebola treatment center in Lwiro, South Kivu. The facility is zoned to prevent infection, June 19, 2026 © Tracy Makhlouf/MSF

Ebola amid multiple overlapping crises

This Ebola outbreak is unfolding against a backdrop of armed conflict, displacement, and multiple concurrent health emergencies. MSF is simultaneously responding to other urgent medical needs, including cholera and malaria, but access to some areas remains restricted due to deteriorating security. The approaching rainy season is expected to trigger a sharp rise in malaria cases, placing further strain on an already overwhelmed healthcare system. Urgent improvements are needed to maintain basic services—healthcare, water, sanitation—and ensure equitable access to Ebola treatment for all.

"Even as the outbreak spreads faster than our response, we cannot continue with the same limited resources," said Newport.

"To halt transmission, we need a robust and sufficient medical response that truly reflects the scale of local needs. This requires an immediate expansion of international support."

MSF staff transporting a patient’s body to the morgue at the Mongwalu Ebola treatment center, June 21, 2026 © Alexis Huguet/MSF

MSF’s Ebola response

Since the outbreak began, MSF has established Ebola treatment centers in Bunia, Mongwalu, Komanda, Goma, Bukavu, and Lwiro across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tshopo provinces, along with over 15 isolation facilities. In affected provinces, preparations for additional isolation and treatment sites are underway. MSF has also strengthened infection prevention and control measures in supported health facilities. The organization is conducting a wide range of activities, including community engagement, surveillance support, training for healthcare workers on infection prevention and control, supplying medicines and medical equipment, and ensuring continuity of non-Ebola medical services. Hundreds of tons of medical supplies and equipment have been transported from Kinshasa and abroad. Currently, over 2,200 staff, including 800 Ministry of Health personnel supported by MSF, are involved in the Ebola response.