The Ebola outbreak sweeping through Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has recorded 894 confirmed cases and 204 deaths within one month of its declaration, raising concerns among health authorities as critical gaps in contact tracing continue to hamper efforts to contain the virus.
Providing an update during a webinar on Thursday, Dr. Wessam Mankoula, Acting Head of Emergency Preparedness and Response at Africa CDC and Regional Director of the Northern Africa Regional Coordinating Centre, said 74 patients have recovered since the outbreak was officially declared on May 15, 2026.
DRC Remains Epicentre of Outbreak
While Uganda has largely kept the disease under control with 19 confirmed cases, two deaths, seven recoveries and complete contact listing within a single health zone in Kampala, the situation in the DRC continues to deteriorate.
Ituri Province remains the epicentre, accounting for 91 confirmed cases and 78 per cent of Ebola-related deaths in the country. North Kivu has emerged as the most challenging hotspot, with insecurity limiting access for health workers and contributing to high fatality rates and weak surveillance efforts.
The outbreak has expanded rapidly, spreading from just three health zones during the first week to 32 health zones across both countries within four weeks.
According to Mankoula, the current outbreak is now the third-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in terms of total cases and deaths, surpassed only by the 2014 West Africa epidemic and the 2018–2019 DRC outbreak.
Contact Tracing and Burial Teams Under Pressure
Despite cases increasing by 38 per cent in the past week, health experts say the most urgent concern remains inadequate contact tracing.
For more than 800 confirmed cases, between 17,000 and 35,000 contacts should be under daily monitoring. However, only about 6,000 contacts have been identified, while just 4,000 are being actively followed—far below the level required to halt transmission.
Mankoula warned that without licensed vaccines or approved therapeutics for the Sudan strain of Ebola, containment depends heavily on rapid case identification, contact listing and daily community monitoring.
Safe burial operations are also struggling to keep pace with the outbreak. Only seven of the 49 required burial teams have been deployed, while just seven of the 98 needed vehicles and 84 of the required 540 personnel are currently available.
Africa CDC, WHO Launch Continental Response
In response to the escalating crisis, Africa CDC declared a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security on May 18, just days after confirmation of the outbreak.
Subsequent high-level engagements included a regional summit in Kampala involving DRC, Uganda and neighbouring countries, cross-border coordination meetings, and consultations involving African Union leaders, WHO officials and international partners.
Africa CDC and the World Health Organization have since launched a unified six-month continental response plan built around 11 strategic pillars, requiring an estimated $517 million to support affected countries and high-risk neighbours.
Testing and Treatment Capacity Expanded
Health authorities have significantly improved testing capacity, reducing result turnaround times from up to eight days to less than 24 hours.
More than 21,000 Ebola test kits have been distributed across DRC, Uganda, South Sudan and Burundi, with another 27,000 expected.
Treatment centres in DRC are approaching capacity, with nine facilities providing 433 beds currently operating at 86 per cent occupancy. Nine additional treatment centres are under construction.
Authorities have also delivered over 60 metric tonnes of infection prevention materials and medical supplies, while border screening measures now cover about 90 per cent of travellers leaving DRC to reduce cross-border transmission.
Funding Releases Lag Behind Pledges
Although African Union meetings secured pledges worth $910 million, including $80 million from member states, less than $90 million has so far been released to affected countries and response partners.
Health officials warned that major challenges remain, including insecurity in North Kivu, the absence of licensed medical countermeasures for the Sudan strain, the need to protect frontline health workers, and the urgent task of raising contact tracing coverage from below 15 per cent to the 95 per cent target required to bring the outbreak under control.
