The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 1,830 confirmed cases and 648 deaths, with the virus spreading to a fourth province, Haut-Uele, where seven fatal cases were confirmed in the Wamba health zone. A US citizen working for a humanitarian organisation in the country tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on 10 July, marking the second known infection of an American during this outbreak. The case fatality rate stands at 34.1 percent, according to government data, and the outbreak, declared on 15 May, is now the fastest-growing on record in the country.

In the epicentre of Bunia, Ituri province, roughly 80 percent of new confirmed patients are emerging outside known contact lists, WHO Emergencies Director Chikwe Ihekweazu told Reuters, indicating intense, undetected community transmission. Modelling and test-positivity rates suggest the outbreak may be between two and four times larger than official figures. In Bunia, a city of one million, one in two people tested for Ebola is positive. Preliminary evidence indicates the Bundibugyo strain may cause milder symptoms, reducing risk perception and leading families to care for sick relatives at home, which prolongs community exposure. An analysis of the first 400 deaths found that roughly 70 percent occurred outside treatment centres.

Health workers have been hit hard: 112 confirmed cases and 35 deaths among medical staff. A Doctors Without Borders simulation centre in Nairobi is training around 100 personnel per month for deployment, focusing on community engagement and the physical demands of working in full protective gear. In Uganda, 20 cases have been confirmed, including two deaths, with most considered imported from DR Congo. Donors and partners have pledged $910 million to support the response in both countries. Meanwhile, the region is grappling with multiple other health emergencies. Nigeria is experiencing a renewed surge of Lassa fever, with 66 confirmed cases and seven deaths in three weeks across 23 states, and a cholera outbreak in Borno state has been exacerbated by jihadist insurgency, with clinics in Monguno reporting up to 50 patients daily and a mortality rate of 40 percent among those arriving from remote areas.

Authorities in DR Congo have begun training 21,000 community health workers to conduct house-to-house visits, identify suspected cases and encourage early care-seeking. The next milestone will be whether this intensified surveillance can bring the hidden chains of transmission into view and whether the pledged funding translates into operational capacity on the ground, particularly in insecure areas where access remains severely constrained.