Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda could become Africa’s deadliest, CDC chief warns
Africa CDC chief Dr. Jean Kaseya warned at a summit of African leaders in Burundi on Tuesday that the current Ebola outbreak in the Bundibugyo strain, spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, could become the deadliest on the continent. He said the main challenge is tracing tens of thousands of contacts who have not yet been found, leaving health systems under extreme strain.
Kaseya said the outbreak could surpass the 2014 to 2016 West Africa epidemic, which killed more than 11,000 people. As of mid-June 2026, Africa CDC said there had been more than 800 confirmed cases and close to 200 deaths in the DRC and Uganda. He stressed that without an immediate break in transmission, the whole region faces a strategic threat, adding, “Ebola moves fast, and Africa must move faster.”
The crisis is complicated by the lack of an effective vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, which does not respond to the approved vaccines and therapies used against other Ebola variants. It is also unfolding in insecure areas, making it harder for medical teams to reach patients, deliver supplies, and conduct contact tracing. High cross border movement in the region is helping the virus spread beyond isolated areas.
To slow the outbreak, Africa CDC and the World Health Organization launched a joint preparedness and response plan worth $518 million, running through November 2026. The plan aims to build a coalition of countries and international partners under the slogan, “One plan, one budget, one team,” with priorities including stronger laboratories, faster field diagnostics, community outreach against dangerous disinformation, and health and humanitarian corridors in conflict zones. The outbreak officially began in mid May 2026 in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu in Congo, with spillover into Uganda. The next test is whether funding is approved quickly enough to support response efforts in 31 active health zones in the DRC.
