Urgent Funding Needed as 300 Ebola Cases Remain Untracked in DR Congo

WHO:

Bloomberg - Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC

The Guardian - Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC

The Guardian - Dz’na Lipe Jean‑Marie, secretary of Kpangba displacement camp

The Guardian - Medical NGO Alima

WHAT:

The Guardian - Nearly 300 people who tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are unaccounted for.

The Guardian - There have been 1,118 confirmed cases and 291 deaths in the DRC, and 20 cases and 2 deaths in Uganda.

The Guardian - Projections from the World Health Organization predict about 8,210 cases and 1,420 deaths by mid-September.

The Guardian - The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus and is the largest on record for five weeks after declaration.

The Guardian - Bed occupancy in Ebola treatment centres is at 95%.

The Guardian - $518 million is needed for health spending to tackle the outbreak, rising to $1.4 billion when humanitarian needs are included.

The Guardian - Only about 13% of $910 million pledged to the response has been supplied.

WHERE:

Bloomberg - Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda

The Guardian - Kpangba displacement camp in the DRC

WHEN:

The Guardian - A trial of drugs to treat the Bundibugyo virus is due to begin in the DRC next week.

The Guardian - A trial of an antiviral to prevent disease development in contacts will begin a week later.

The Guardian - Projections indicate between 6,636 and 10,287 cases by 16 September.

The Guardian - The worst-case scenario projects 66,000 confirmed cases by September.

WHY:

Bloomberg - More funding from Western governments is needed to contain the outbreak.

The Guardian - The humanitarian crisis and conflict in affected areas prevent health workers from accessing over 1 million displaced people.

HOW:

The Guardian - Authorities intend to recruit 20,000 community health workers to boost contact tracing efforts.

The Guardian - Computer models were used by the WHO to simulate three trajectories of the outbreak's spread.

(UPDATED June 27, 2026 07:54 UTC)

In a concerning development, nearly 300 people who tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remain unaccounted for, amid a total of 1,118 confirmed cases and 291 deaths in the DRC, along with 20 cases and 2 deaths in Uganda. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, is now the largest on record just five weeks after its declaration, with projections from the World Health Organization estimating between 6,636 and 10,287 cases by September 16, and a worst-case scenario predicting up to 66,000 confirmed cases by that time. To combat this crisis, authorities plan to recruit 20,000 community health workers to enhance contact tracing efforts, while $518 million is urgently needed for health spending, rising to $1.4 billion when humanitarian needs are included, as only about 13% of the pledged $910 million has been supplied.