Ebola Outbreak In The Democratic Republic of The Congo Yet to Peak, Says Red Cross

The Red Cross on Tuesday said that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has not yet reached its peak. The world's largest humanitarian network warned that it could take up to a year to contain the spread of the virus.

G7 leaders too called for a "strong and coordinated response" to contain the outbreak on Tuesday while meeting in Evian, France.

The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies’ alert comes amid mounting concerns over dangerous gaps in tackling the disease.

Speaking from Bunia, the capital of Ituri, the northeastern province which is the outbreak's epicentre, Bruno Michon, the IFRC's operations manager for the Ebola outbreak said that the crisis appears far from over.

“Here in Bunia, the peak of the epidemic is, I think, not beyond us, but in front of us; we are afraid that this could last one year before ending the outbreak,” Michon told reporters in Geneva in a video call.

According to the World Health Organization, 808 cases, including 192 deaths, have been confirmed in DRC since the outbreak was declared in the country on May 15, 2026. This is the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak, the disease spreads by close contact and infected bodily fluids.

The response to the outbreak faces critical roadblocks, with international aid agencies warning that a severe lack of diagnostic capacity and escalating community resistance are obscuring the true path of the virus. Centred in the northeastern province of Ituri and spreading to North Kivu, South Kivu, and neighboring Uganda, the epidemic is driven by the Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccines or medical treatments currently exist.

Critical Gaps in Testing Create Dangerous 'Blind Spots'

A primary vulnerability in containment efforts is the testing blind spot. Organizations including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oxfam, and IFRC have flagged deficient testing as the response's most significant weakness. "Testing remains one of the most significant weaknesses," Kate White, MSF's emergency medical coordinator in the DRC, said on Monday.

While the World Health Organization (WHO) has scaled up diagnostic capacity in recent weeks, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic acknowledged Tuesday that "blind spots" remain. "There may be transmission chains that are not being detected," he told reporters in Geneva.

Michon agreed, saying that this makes it nearly impossible to map the exact trajectory and extent of the epidemic.

This diagnostic failure is compounded by deep funding and resource shortages. Oxfam has attributed weak contact tracing directly to the “withdrawal of US funding for disease surveillance”. The organisation also pointed out the shortcomings of basic infrastructure on ground, including a critical lack of clean water in affected zones and a severe shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline medical staff.

Compounding the biological threat are severe geopolitical complications. The three affected provinces have been gripped by conflict and mass displacement. A recent surge in conflict casualty figures noted by the International Committee of the Red Cross, has placed further pressure on an already fragile health system.

"A sudden geographic expansion of the epidemic is feared if public health measures are not implemented quickly," the Congolese National Institute of Public Health warned in its daily situation report.

Battle for Community Trust

Beyond infrastructure, the response is deadlocked by a battle for community trust. Decades of absence of the Congolese state in the region has fuelled deep institutional mistrust among residents, leading to riots, widespread denial of the virus's existence, and targeted attacks on medical facilities.

"To stop this outbreak, we need to invest not only in medical response, but also in trust, local volunteers, community engagement and operational access," Michon said.

He added that “trust is central”, noting, “Without trust, we cannot detect cases early. We cannot ensure safe burials. We cannot protect families. And we cannot stop transmission.”

Local Red Cross volunteers have faced routine verbal abuse, threats, and physical assaults while carrying out their work, Michon pointed.

Meanwhile, the regional threat continues to grow, with the outbreak already crossing borders into neighboring Uganda, which has documented 19 confirmed cases and two deaths.