DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Declared the Deadliest as Deaths Pass 2,320, WHO Says
- The World Health Organisation declared the DRC Ebola outbreak a global health emergency after infections surpassed 5,000 cases
- WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned the epidemic was spreading at an unprecedented speed
- The outbreak has become the deadliest Ebola epidemic in DRC history, surpassing the death toll from the 2018 to 2020 outbreak
Ghana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) a global health emergency following an emergency meeting held on Tuesday, 18 August 2026.
Source: Original
The declaration came as confirmed infections in the country crossed the 5,000 mark and the death toll rose above 2,320.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the epidemic was "far from being under control" and called on the international community to mobilise support for containment efforts.
He warned that health officials were continuing to discover new chains of transmission that needed to be traced and severed to prevent further spread.
DRC's deadliest Ebola epidemic on record
The current outbreak, the country's 17th Ebola episode, has now surpassed the 2,299 deaths recorded during the 2018 to 2020 outbreak to become the deadliest in DRC's history.
The outbreak was officially declared on 17 May, though genetic analysis of samples indicated the virus had begun spreading as far back as February, approximately three months earlier.
Tedros described the pace of transmission as "unprecedented speed", noting that the locations of many deaths pointed to undetected chains of transmission still active in the country.
Response teams are believed to have faced significant obstacles, including ongoing armed conflict in the mineral-rich nation, widespread misinformation, community distrust of health workers, and cultural practices that complicate safe burials and patient care.
No approved vaccine for Bundibugyo strain
A particular concern for health authorities is the strain responsible for the outbreak.
The Bundibugyo Ebola virus, which is driving the current epidemic, currently has no approved vaccine or treatment, leaving affected communities without a standard line of medical defence.
WHO medic Thierno Balde highlighted an unconventional but critical focus of response operations: motorbike riders.
Because riders frequently transport both patients and deceased individuals, they have become a significant vector of potential transmission.
Health teams have installed hand-washing stations and distributed disinfectants at key points, and officials are working to recruit riders as surveillance and response officers on the ground.
According to reports, an experimental vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain is currently in trials.
The first human volunteer received the vaccine in the United Kingdom in July 2026. Scientists at Oxford University have overseen its development, and hundreds of thousands of doses have already been manufactured in India, awaiting deployment pending the outcome of the trials.
The WHO has continued to stress that identifying and breaking every chain of transmission remains the central objective in bringing the outbreak under control.
The YouTube video of the report from WHO is below.
SABC apologise over Ebola in Ghana report
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported on the inaccurate news ticker aired by South Africa's public broadcaster SABC News, which claimed Ghana had recorded a significant number of Ebola infections and deaths.
This misleading report prompted a swift denial from Ghana's Ministry of Health, underscoring the critical importance of accurate information during public health crises.
The incident not only sparked public concern but also shed light on the broader challenges of misinformation in the age of social media, where unverified claims can escalate quickly.
Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
Source: YEN.com.gh
