The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo is intensifying rapidly and has now reached a sixth province in the northern part of the country, raising fears of further spread into neighboring South Sudan. This outbreak is on track to become the deadliest in the nation’s history.

Authorities declared the 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, weeks behind schedule, marking the most significant health crisis of its kind in the country’s history.

The previous deadliest Ebola outbreak in the DRC claimed nearly 2,300 lives out of 3,500 confirmed cases between 2018 and 2020.

Within just three months of its declaration, the current epidemic has already caused over 2,128 deaths from 4,566 confirmed cases, according to the latest official figures. This represents a sevenfold increase in cases and a fivefold rise in fatalities compared to the initial three months of the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak.

Initially, five provinces were affected: Ituri (bordering Uganda and South Sudan), North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, and Tshopo. However, health officials confirmed a fatality in Bas-Uélé province—a region previously untouched by the virus and bordering the Central African Republic. The victim had traveled from the neighboring Haut-Uélé province, where Ebola cases had already been reported.

Escalating threat along high-risk corridors

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned that the outbreak is spreading at an unprecedented global pace.

Humanitarian organization Mercy Corps has also raised the alarm about the high risk of cross-border transmission to South Sudan. Confirmed cases are now located just 35 kilometers from the South Sudanese border, along critical movement corridors.

Challenges hampering response efforts

The response to the outbreak is severely hindered by overwhelmed healthcare systems, limited access to clean water and sanitation, and widespread distrust among communities. Insecurity further exacerbates the situation, particularly in North Kivu and South Kivu, where armed conflict between government forces and the M23 rebel group—allegedly supported by Rwanda—has divided the provinces and restricted access to affected areas.

Despite these obstacles, health authorities announced the end of the Ebola outbreak in South Kivu after 42 days without new cases. Additionally, a suspected case reported on a boat traveling down the Congo River toward Kinshasa in early August was cleared after no further infections were detected among passengers, who were subsequently allowed to disembark near the capital.

Global health community remains on high alert

Ebola, transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, causes severe hemorrhagic fever and has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past five decades. The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed cautious optimism, stating it aims to reverse the upward trend of the DRC’s Ebola epidemic within three months.