The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for urgent and coordinated action to contain the rapidly worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), warning that the epidemic could become the largest and deadliest in history if immediate intervention is not intensified.

Speaking on the situation, Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya urged governments, international partners and health organisations to mobilise resources quickly to halt the spread of the virus across the region.

The current outbreak, declared on 15 May 2026, has spread rapidly across several provinces in the DRC, raising concerns about possible cross-border transmission, particularly into neighbouring Uganda.

In response to the growing threat, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, calling for stronger international support to contain the disease.

According to the latest figures released on Tuesday, the DRC has recorded 2,423 confirmed Ebola cases and 967 deaths, representing a 39.9 per cent fatality rate. Health authorities also reported that 81.1 per cent of identified contacts are currently being traced.

Describing the situation as critical, Dr. Kaseya said:

“This outbreak is escalating quickly. We need to act now. If we don’t stop it today, it will be the worst ever recorded.”

He stressed that behind every statistic are families and communities devastated by the disease and called for greater international solidarity to prevent further loss of life.

The outbreak has affected five provinces—Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo—with Ituri Province remaining the epicentre of infections linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.

As a precautionary measure, several countries have introduced travel restrictions. Canada announced a 90-day suspension of entry for residents of the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan, while requiring citizens, permanent residents and eligible foreign nationals returning from affected areas to observe a 21-day quarantine, even if they show no symptoms.

The Bahamas also imposed a 30-day entry restriction on travellers from the affected countries, subject to review, while the United States barred entry to non-citizens who had travelled to the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days.

Africa CDC has reiterated that only a swift, coordinated regional and global response can prevent the outbreak from escalating into an even greater public health emergency.