GENEVA / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization reports that certain regions within the Democratic Republic of the Congo are demonstrating signs of improvement in the fight against Ebola. In particular, transmission has decreased in multiple zones, with Ituri province continuing to be the primary focus of the outbreak. As of data collected up to Sept. 13, the country had documented 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 fatalities across seven provinces, alongside 1,726 recoveries, resulting in an overall case fatality ratio of 48.4%.
Notably, South Kivu has not reported any new Ebola cases since May, providing further evidence of progress in select affected areas. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that recent trends are promising after months of widespread transmission, although he acknowledged that the outbreak continues to expand and result in deaths. Health officials have identified cases across 62 health zones, highlighting significant disparities between provinces, with declines in some regions occurring concurrently with sharp increases in others across the country.
Despite a recent slowdown in transmission, Ituri still accounts for the largest share of cases, with officials reporting approximately 300 new infections and 160 deaths in that province during the latest weekly period; these infections nearly constitute half of the national total for that timeframe. Conversely, North Kivu has exhibited a different trend, with weekly case numbers nearly doubling over two weeks, rising from around 100 to over 200, as response teams continue to monitor the expanding spread of the virus.
Sharp Rise in Weekly Cases Reported in North Kivu
The current outbreak was officially declared in mid-May 2026, after laboratory tests confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease as the cause. Since then, the epidemic has propagated across a wide section of the country, with Ituri still bearing the highest cumulative burden, followed by North Kivu. Haut-Uélé also continues to record cases, and the virus has now reached Sud-Ubangi, expanding the geographic scope of the response to seven affected provinces. Ongoing clinical research has become an integral part of the Ebola response, as health teams operate within affected communities to evaluate treatments and post-exposure prophylaxis, with participation increasing. WHO and national health authorities persist in surveillance activities, including laboratory testing, contact tracing, isolation, and clinical management, all of which are vital since infection levels vary widely between provinces and health zones, as current data indicates that national totals alone do not reflect the uneven transmission pattern.
Response Efforts Cover Seven Provinces Impacted by Ebola
Support from national health authorities, WHO, Africa CDC, and various partners continues to bolster frontline teams operating in the affected regions. However, insecurity and population displacement complicate access in parts of eastern and northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, posing challenges to effective surveillance, contact tracing, and delivery of timely healthcare. Teams also work within mining communities, informal settlements, and displacement sites, some of which have limited healthcare services, sanitation, and transportation infrastructure, adding further operational challenges in efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
The latest confirmed figures reflect progress in several areas, yet the outbreak continues to exact a heavy toll nationwide. South Kivu has remained free of new cases for months, and Ituri has experienced a reduction in transmission compared to earlier stages of the epidemic. Meanwhile, North Kivu still reports rising weekly infections, prompting health authorities to closely monitor each province separately as transmission dynamics shift across the country. The scale of the outbreak remains significant, with more than 3,500 confirmed deaths and thousands of cases still impacting the population.