DRC Ebola Outbreak Becomes Deadliest in Country's History as Death Toll Hits 2,325

The DRC Ministry of Health situation report published 16 August 2026 (data as of 15 August) recorded 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 confirmed deaths, an increase the report attributed to 101 new confirmed cases (89 Ituri, 8 North Kivu, 3 Haut-Uélé, 1 Tshopo) and 53 deaths since the prior day's report. The toll surpassed the 2,299 deaths recorded in DRC's 2018-2020 Kivu outbreak, making this the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country's history and the second-largest ever recorded worldwide, behind only the 2014-16 West Africa epidemic (28,616 cases / 11,310 deaths). The case-fatality ratio has risen to roughly 46-47%, up from about 20% in early June — a trend CIDRAP and outside experts linked to the operational strain on the response rather than a change in virus behavior. The outbreak has now reached 55 of 151 health zones across six provinces (Ituri 4,194 cases/1,838 deaths across 28/36 zones; North Kivu 596/417; Haut-Uélé 138/62; Tshopo 13/6; South Kivu 3/1; Bas-Uélé 1/1), with 730 patients hospitalized in isolation and 1,040 recovered. Healthcare workers have suffered 155 confirmed infections and 45 deaths (29% CFR). WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak 'is already the second-biggest Ebola epidemic on record, and it's moving faster than any previous Ebola outbreak. At its current pace, it's on track to eclipse the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014 to 2016.' UN Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher added: 'This is a wake-up call. We need speed, scale and solidarity before this virus gets even further ahead of us.' A second WHO IHR Emergency Committee meeting to review the outbreak's PHEIC status and temporary recommendations was scheduled for 18 August.