DR Congo Ebola outbreak tops 1,500 cases, 473 deaths as France records first recovered patient

The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surged past 1,500 confirmed infections, with 473 deaths, 213 recoveries and 628 patients still in isolation or treatment as of early July 2026. The outbreak remains centred in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, where more than 11,000 contacts are being monitored. The World Health Organization has classified the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and the Africa CDC has pledged US$910 million together with other partners to support response efforts; neighboring Uganda has reported 20 cases.

France’s health minister Stéphanie Rist announced that the first Ebola patient ever diagnosed on French soil – a humanitarian doctor from the NGO Alima who arrived from Kinshasa on 23 June – has been declared cured after two negative PCR tests and has left the hospital. Five other passengers from the same flight were placed under home quarantine for the standard 21‑day period.

While no secondary transmission has been detected in France, authorities in the DRC face considerable challenges. Health‑system gaps and unpaid frontline staff have led to morale problems among response teams in Ituri, and analysts warn that the epidemic exposes broader investment shortfalls in the country’s health infrastructure.

Overall, the outbreak continues to strain regional health capacities, but swift isolation of the French case and intensive contact‑tracing are cited as evidence that transmission risk outside the DRC remains low.