GENEVA, 19th August, 2026 (WAM) -- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) can still be brought under control within three months, despite the virus expanding across six provinces and claiming more than 2,325 lives.
Speaking at a virtual news conference from Bunia, WHO Incident Manager Thierno Balde stated that containing the virus remains possible provided necessary resources are secured, noting that the organization has raised only 60 percent of the $115 million required to fund the response.
Balde added that containment measures are accelerating, with 400 hospital beds added over the past two weeks and additional epidemiologists deployed to enhance contact tracing.
However, senior health officials warned that the outbreak is not yet under control, as 70 to 80 percent of new cases have no known links to existing patients, pointing to sustained community transmission across multiple regions.