The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is approaching 1,000 as health teams confront sustained transmission across five provinces.

The World Health Organization said the Congolese government had recorded 2,423 confirmed cases, 967 deaths and 469 recoveries by 19 July. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a form of Ebola for which treatment and vaccine options remain more limited than for the better-known Zaire strain.

Ituri province remains the centre of the emergency, accounting for more than 90% of reported cases and about 80% of deaths. Infections have also been recorded in North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo.

WHO officials have reported some signs that the outbreak may be beginning to stabilise, but warned that transmission remains active and that the situation is still dangerous.

Insecurity complicates the response

Several affected areas are also dealing with armed violence, displacement and weak health infrastructure. Those conditions make it harder to identify contacts, isolate patients, transport samples and protect medical staff.

Healthcare workers have been among those infected. Community mistrust, difficult terrain and the movement of people across provincial and national borders add further risk.

Uganda recorded cases linked to transmission from DR Congo but had reported no new infection since late June and entered a period of enhanced surveillance. Cases involving international medical workers have also required treatment or evacuation outside the region.

Limited tools against the Bundibugyo strain

The global response to Ebola has improved significantly since the West African epidemic of 2013 to 2016. Rapid diagnostics, specialist treatment centres and trained emergency teams can reduce transmission and improve survival when deployed quickly.

However, many of the vaccines and treatments developed in recent years were designed primarily for the Zaire Ebola virus. Scientific trials are under way to identify effective options for the Bundibugyo strain, and WHO has added a diagnostic test for the virus to its emergency-use list.

The agency and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have called for sustained international funding and logistical support. Outbreak control depends not only on clinical care but also on safe burials, contact tracing, community communication and the ability to reach insecure areas.

The latest figures show both the speed of the spread and the scale of the challenge. Even if the rate of new infections is beginning to slow, the outbreak has already become a major regional health emergency.

The next phase will test whether early signs of stabilisation can be converted into a sustained decline, or whether gaps in funding, security and access allow the virus to regain momentum.