The Democratic Republic of Congo faces its largest Ebola outbreak on record as the Bundibugyo virus spreads across 49 health zones in five provinces. With over 3,605 cases and 1,587 deaths reported by 30 July 2026, front-line health workers have launched strikes over unpaid wages, severely disrupting the emergency response.
The outbreak, declared on May 15, 2026, has expanded at an unprecedented pace. According to government data released on Monday, the epidemic has recorded 3,802 cases and 1,707 deaths, with totals climbing further to 3,874 cases and 1,751 deaths by the first week of August, according to figures released by the Congolese health ministry. It is now the second-largest Ebola outbreak in history, surpassed only by the 2014–2016 epidemic in West Africa, and has already eclipsed the duration and scale of Congo’s 2018–2020 epidemic.
Unpaid Wages Spark Front-Line Strikes in Ituri Province
As transmission accelerates, the nurses and support staff bearing the brunt of the crisis are walking off the job. Dozens of health workers staged protests outside treatment facilities in Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu, demanding salaries and allowances they state are nearly three months overdue, as reported by Reuters.
In a formal letter addressed to President Felix Tshisekedi, health workers warned that the financial standoff seriously jeopardizes the continuation of the response effort. In Mongbwalu, police dispersed demonstrators after a protest disrupted operations outside a local hospital. Nurse Micheline Kayimpa, who cares for patients at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia, described the compounding hazards of treating patients without guaranteed compensation. I am very afraid for my safety, Kayimpa told CNN, adding that sometimes, a small detail we overlook can prove fatal.
International Alarm Over Accelerating Transmission and Failed Contact Tracing
During a visit to Bunia, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya warned that the pathogen is moving faster than health systems can track. Kaseya noted that a large proportion of new infections stem from community spread rather than monitored contact tracing. Contact tracing is not working, Kaseya stated, adding that health officials don’t like the trajectory of this outbreak. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus echoed those concerns during meetings in Kinshasa, emphasizing that we must urgently and massively scale up all our efforts across all pillars of the response.
Dr. Anne Rimoin addresses Ebola updates and impacts on healthcare workers – BBC News
Unlike past epidemics, the current crisis is driven by the Bundibugyo virus strain, which lacks approved vaccines or commercial treatments. While two clinical trials for post-exposure prophylaxis drugs and separate vaccine trials are underway in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ituri province, patient zero remains unidentified. The lack of an index case, combined with ongoing armed conflict and displacement, complicates efforts to trace thousands of exposed individuals.
Security Incidents and Deep-Rooted Community Mistrust
Response teams face hostility in the field alongside logistical hurdles. In Niania, a group of young men threw projectiles at a treatment center and briefly blocked a World Food Programme helicopter from landing, prompting police warning shots, according to civil society leader Samuel Banapia. In Beni, an ambulance dispatched to evacuate a suspected patient was vandalized, while social media rumors regarding a curfew sparked protests in Butembo.
Funding Surges While Regional Neighbors Clear Cases
Testing capacity has expanded significantly; Mohamed Janabi, WHO’s regional director for Africa, reported that the agency is testing more than 2,000 samples daily, a sharp increase from previous baseline testing rates of 20 samples per day.
Photo: independent.co.uk
Meanwhile, neighboring Uganda successfully concluded its response after discharging its final patient in mid-June and officially declaring an end to its outbreak on July 28 following a 42-day monitoring period. However, international health agencies maintain high surveillance along border regions to guard against cross-border transmission from eastern Congo.
