Ebola in the DRC: 3,833 deaths out of 7,946 cases, home deaths undermine the response

The Ebola epidemic currently affecting the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has reached 3,833 deaths out of 7,946 confirmed cases, according to the report published on September 27, 2026, by the Congolese media outlet Actualite.cd, which relies on situation report number 133 from the presidential Ebola Task Force. The case fatality rate stands at 48.2%, and 2,001 patients have recovered.

New infections are declining. On September 24, 56 cases were confirmed compared to 70 the day before: 35 in Ituri, 17 in North Kivu, three in Haut-Uélé, and one in Bas-Uélé. As of that date, 848 people were still in isolation or hospitalized, and 56 health zones remained active out of the 62 that have reported at least one case.

Two provinces, two faces of the epidemic

Ituri accounts for 76.4% of cumulative cases and remains the epicenter, but it is in North Kivu that the disease is most lethal, with a fatality rate of 59.9%, according to Actualite.cd. The Ministry of Health, cited on September 27 by Radio Okapi, points to a favorable trend as of September 22, with a decrease in new cases and deaths, as well as in positivity and virus reproduction rates.

Seven health zones have passed 42 consecutive days without a new case, a decisive threshold. However, Minister of Health Samuel-Roger Kamba has prioritized South Ubangi: this seventh affected province, which recorded a second positive case on September 22, is a border region characterized by intense population movement, reports Radio Okapi.

Dying at home, the crux of the problem

Out of 34 recently recorded deaths, 23 occurred within the community rather than in a treatment center, reports Actualite.cd. Each death at home signifies a chain of transmission that has gone under the radar: during funerals, the body remains highly contagious. Contact tracing has fallen to 79.2% according to the Task Force, and to 78.3% in the 55 affected zones according to the ministry.

A response running short on resources

The vaccination campaign is stalling: 135 people vaccinated in Bunia, Ituri, against a target of 300, according to Actualite.cd, which also reports payment arrears for service providers and, in Bas-Uélé, stocks that have fallen to 25 kilos of chlorine and 170 liters of fuel.

Furthermore, the country is facing a resurgence of cholera in five provinces—Maniema, Lualaba, Haut-Lomami, Kasai-Oriental, and Tshopo—and an outbreak of mpox in the Lubao health zone, adds Radio Okapi. The outcome will depend less on the case curve than on the ability of the Congolese state and its partners to pay teams and resupply the most isolated areas.