Denis Mukwege warns of worst Ebola outbreak in DRC and expands humanitarian grants

Nobel laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege said the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the most severe in the country’s history. The World Health Organization confirmed the Bundibugyo strain on 15 May 2026, and by 23 June 2026 there were 1,048 confirmed cases and 267 deaths, a 25 % mortality rate. The epicenter is Ituri province with 954 cases, while North‑Kivu and South‑Kivu report fewer infections and Uganda has recorded 20 cases, including two deaths. Mukwege called for renewed international support, urging the reopening of Goma airport to aid medical logistics and stressing the need for protective equipment, infrastructure and quarantine measures.

On 25 June 2026 the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative announced a second round of participatory grants funded by Mukwege, the 2024 Aurora Prize laureate. The grants target locally led projects in the DRC, Somalia, Malawi, Burkina Faso and Colombia, supporting health, education, protection and food security. In the DRC, funding goes to the Moseka Action Project in South Kivu to help women earn income and strengthen community response to the Ebola crisis, as well as to other groups providing schooling, medical care and psychosocial support. Mukwege said the grants aim to sustain grassroots humanitarian work and protect vulnerable children and women affected by conflict and disease.