Ebola Cases in Congo Rise to 3,200 Amid Ongoing Strikes

WHO:

Al Jazeera - The World Health Organization (WHO) is involved in the response to the Ebola outbreak.

Al Jazeera - Hedley Tah is a representative of the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS).

WHAT:

Al Jazeera - The number of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 3,200, including at least 1,405 deaths.

Al Jazeera - The outbreak has surged by 1,000 cases in just 10 days.

NY Post - About a hundred health workers protested outside a treatment center, citing unpaid bonuses.

WHERE:

Al Jazeera - The outbreak is occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, specifically in five provinces, with nearly 90 percent of cases reported in the northeastern province of Ituri.

WHEN:

Al Jazeera - The Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15.

WHY:

Al Jazeera - The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment.

Al Jazeera - Strikes by healthcare workers demanding unpaid wages have disrupted response efforts in some hospitals.

HOW:

Al Jazeera - Improved detection and testing have helped identify more infections.

Al Jazeera - UNHAS is moving aid workers and samples for lab testing to ensure traceability can continue.

Al Jazeera - Scientists are racing to develop vaccines and treatments against the Bundibugyo strain, with Oxford University having administered an experimental vaccine to the first volunteer group.

(UPDATED July 27, 2026 18:27 UTC)

The World Health Organization is actively responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the number of cases has surged to 3,200, including at least 1,405 deaths. This alarming increase of 1,000 cases in just ten days has been compounded by protests from health workers demanding unpaid bonuses, which have disrupted response efforts in some hospitals. Meanwhile, scientists are racing to develop vaccines and treatments against the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, with Oxford University recently administering an experimental vaccine to the first group of volunteers.