DR Congo Ebola outbreak reaches second‑largest epidemic globally

The Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing the second‑largest Ebola outbreak on record, with the World Health Organization reporting 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths as of July 30, a 13 % weekly increase. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, has spread across five provinces, with Ituri province identified as the most intense transmission zone.

Health officials cite active conflict, numerous armed groups, high mobility around gold‑mining areas and large displaced‑person populations as major obstacles to containment. Contact‑tracing efforts lag behind the surge in infections, and two‑thirds of deaths occur outside health facilities, often involving unsafe burial practices. WHO Director‑General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the epidemic is outpacing the response, while United Nations World Food Programme acting head Carl Skau called it the fastest‑spreading Ebola event ever seen. Africa CDC director‑general Dr. Jean Kaseya highlighted the gap in response capacity.

Neighboring Uganda declared the end of its own Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak on July 28 but remains on alert for imported cases from eastern Congo, underscoring regional vulnerability.