DR Congo Ebola cases climb past 3,500 as outbreak ranks second-largest on record

Key points

Reported cases in DR Congo have risen to about 3,532.
The outbreak is described as the second-largest on record.
Hunger and conflict are slowing contact tracing and care.
Africa CDC and UN agencies have urged a stronger, better-resourced response.

The number of reported Ebola cases across the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to about 3,532, according to the latest public tallies relayed by Nation.Africa — a scale that ranks the current outbreak as the second-largest on record.

Eastleigh Voice and UN-linked reporting have separately warned that hunger and insecurity are hampering the response. Ituri and other eastern zones remain difficult operating environments for vaccinators, contact tracers and burial teams.

Africa CDC has flagged constraints on the DRC response even as neighbouring Uganda reports stronger progress on its own preparedness metrics. Cross-border surveillance remains critical because trade and family movement do not stop at formal checkpoints.

Ebola control depends on rapid case detection, ring vaccination where vaccines are available, safe burials and community trust. When households face acute food insecurity, people may delay seeking care or resist movement restrictions that threaten livelihoods.

Kenyan travellers and traders with links to eastern Congo should follow Ministry of Health and WHO advisories, practise careful hygiene in high-risk settings, and report fever after travel. There is no indication of a domestic Kenyan outbreak from these reports.

International partners, including WFP, have argued that food assistance and logistics are not optional add-ons but core outbreak tools. Without them, case numbers can outrun clinical capacity.