GENEVA / RankWire.AI / – According to the World Health Organization, certain regions within the Democratic Republic of the Congo are showing positive signs in the fight against Ebola. Transmission rates have decreased in multiple areas, notably in Ituri province, which continues to be the epicenter of the outbreak. As of September 13, official figures report a total of 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 deaths across seven provinces. Additionally, the country has documented 1,726 recoveries, while the overall case fatality ratio remains at 48.4%.
In South Kivu, no new Ebola cases have been reported since May, reinforcing evidence of improvement in select affected regions. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted that recent data provide encouraging signs after months of widespread transmission. Nonetheless, he emphasized that the outbreak persists, continuing to expand and claiming lives. Health officials have identified cases across 62 health zones, illustrating substantial disparities between provinces. While some areas experience declining transmission, others are witnessing sharp increases, demonstrating the uneven nature of the epidemic.
Despite a recent slowdown, Ituri remains the province with the highest number of cases. Recent weekly reports indicate roughly 300 new infections and approximately 160 deaths in that region, accounting for nearly half of the national total during that period. Conversely, North Kivu has experienced a different trend, with weekly cases almost doubling over two weeks—from about 100 to more than 200—as response teams continue monitoring the expanding spread of the virus.
North Kivu sees significant spike in weekly Ebola cases
The current outbreak was officially declared in mid-May 2026, with laboratory analysis confirming Bundibugyo virus disease as the cause. Since then, the epidemic has extended across a large portion of the country. While Ituri remains the province with the highest overall case count, North Kivu ranks second. Haut-Uélé also continues to report new cases. The virus has now reached Sud-Ubangi, raising the total number of affected provinces to seven and broadening the scope of ongoing response efforts.
In addition to containment efforts, clinical research has become a vital component of the Ebola response. Health teams are conducting trials involving treatments and post-exposure prophylaxis, with participation increasing across affected communities. The WHO and national health agencies maintain ongoing surveillance, laboratory testing, contact tracing, isolation procedures, and patient care. Authorities are closely monitoring local trends because infection levels vary significantly between provinces and health zones. The latest data reveal that national totals alone do not fully reflect the uneven transmission pattern across the country.
Response efforts extend across seven impacted provinces
Support from national health authorities, WHO, Africa CDC, and other partners continues to bolster frontline teams operating in affected regions. Challenges such as insecurity and population displacement complicate access, especially in eastern and northern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These conditions can hinder effective surveillance, contact tracing, and timely medical interventions. Response teams are also active in mining communities, informal settlements, and displacement sites—areas where health services, sanitation, and transport infrastructure are often limited—adding further operational complexities in efforts to curb transmission.
The most recent confirmed data indicate progress in several localities; however, the outbreak still exacts a heavy toll nationally. South Kivu has remained free of new cases for months, and Ituri has experienced lower transmission rates compared to earlier in the epidemic. In contrast, North Kivu continues to report increasing weekly infections. Consequently, health authorities are monitoring each province individually as the epidemic pattern shifts across the country. More than 3,500 confirmed deaths and thousands of cases underscore the significant scale of this ongoing health crisis.
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