An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has become the country’s deadliest on record, with government figures showing that 2,325 people have died from the disease.
The figures, released on Monday, show that the outbreak has recorded 4,945 confirmed cases, surpassing the previous record set during the 2018–2020 outbreak, which claimed 2,299 lives from 3,381 confirmed cases.
The United Nations has described the current outbreak as “the fastest-growing on record”, with the disease reportedly killing a victim every 30 minutes in the DRC.
The latest outbreak began in Ituri Province, a conflict-affected area in northeastern DRC, before spreading to five additional provinces across the vast Central African country, which has a population of more than 100 million.
The outbreak was officially declared on May 15, although health authorities believe the virus had already been circulating for several weeks before the announcement. It is the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC.
The development has renewed concerns among health authorities and international organisations over the rapid spread of the virus and the challenges of containing it in areas affected by conflict and limited access to healthcare.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said last week that it hoped to bring the spread of the disease under control in the DRC within three months.
The current outbreak has now overtaken the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in the DRC in terms of deaths. That earlier outbreak was previously considered the country’s deadliest, killing 2,299 people.
However, the DRC outbreak is not the deadliest Ebola outbreak recorded globally. The 2013–2016 West Africa epidemic remains the most devastating, killing more than 11,300 people, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Ebola is a highly infectious viral disease that can spread through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person. It can cause severe haemorrhagic fever and, without appropriate medical care, can be fatal.
The disease has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past five decades, underscoring the continuing threat posed by repeated outbreaks on the continent.
The scale and speed of the latest outbreak have placed renewed pressure on health authorities to strengthen surveillance, treatment and containment efforts, particularly in communities where insecurity and limited healthcare access could make controlling transmission more difficult.
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