Ebola is outrunning containment efforts in eastern Congo
The Columbian
Last updated: May 25, 2026
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo is escalating rapidly, outpacing the efforts of health workers to track and manage contacts. Despite increased international attention and emergency measures, the virus continues to spread across provinces and into neighboring countries.
- The Democratic Republic of Congo reported 83 confirmed Ebola infections and 746 suspected cases by May 21.
- A significant challenge is the low follow-up rate with identified contacts; on a single day, health workers could only reach about 21 percent of the 1,603 contacts being monitored.
- This indicates the response is struggling to keep pace with the outbreak's progression.
- The World Health Organization declared the epidemic a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, prompting ramped-up emergency measures by governments and international agencies.
- The outbreak has now extended to three provinces, including South Kivu, with a confirmed case near the major city of Bukavu, close to the Rwandan border.
- Uganda has also confirmed additional Ebola cases linked to earlier infections, including a health worker, highlighting the difficulties in containing its regional spread.
