DRC Situation Update: Cases Reach 4,727, Deaths Cross 2,214 as WHO Warns of 6-12 Month Trajectory

The DRC Ministry of Health published a situation update reported 15 August 2026 (data as of 14 August) recording 4,727 cumulative confirmed cases and 2,214 cumulative deaths — up from 4,665 cases and 2,184 deaths in the 13 August report. 976 patients have recovered, and 55 of 151 health zones across six provinces (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé) are now affected, with Ituri remaining the epicenter. Contact follow-up stood at 82.6% of identified contacts. WHO's Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud said the agency's moderate planning scenario has the outbreak peaking within six months, while a more severe scenario could stretch the response to 9-12 months. Officials reiterated that over 63% of deaths are occurring in communities rather than at treatment facilities, with hidden transmission chains fueled by patients who reach advanced disease stages without ever receiving care. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus repeated that the outbreak 'is moving faster than any previous Ebola outbreak' and remains on track to eclipse the 2014-16 West Africa epidemic (11,310 deaths) as the deadliest ever recorded.