In the Democratic Republic of Congo, more than a month after the official declaration of the 17th Ebola virus disease epidemic, a new step is being taken in the response with the introduction of a 21-day isolation measure for anyone coming from affected areas before any further travel within the country or abroad. The government announced this on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, justifying the decision by the need to strengthen the response against this epidemic.
“This measure aims to reinforce existing public health measures, reduce the risk of spread, and ensure rigorous management of potentially exposed individuals,” the government stated.
This decision by the Congolese government follows the detection of an Ebola virus disease case in France. The information was also confirmed by the medical NGO ALIMA, which specified that one of its humanitarian doctors tested positive for Ebola virus after returning to France following a mission in an area affected by the epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The Government reaffirms its unwavering commitment to protecting the population and supporting frontline teams, conducting the response with responsibility, transparency, and scientific rigor, and strengthening, with all its partners, all necessary measures to protect the Congolese people and affected communities across the national territory and within the framework of international health cooperation.”
This measure comes as the toll of the Bundibugyo Ebola epidemic in the DRC continues to worsen. According to the situation report from Tuesday, June 23, published Wednesday, June 24, 2026, by the Congolese government, 1,118 confirmed cases and 291 deaths have been recorded since the beginning of the epidemic, a case fatality rate of 26%. The epidemic now affects 34 health zones spread across three provinces: Ituri, the epicenter of the crisis with 22 affected zones; North Kivu, under priority surveillance with 11 zones; and South Kivu, with 3 confirmed cases and one death.
On the operational front, the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare reports that 408 patients are currently in isolation or hospitalized, while 122 recoveries have been recorded in total. The contact tracing rate stands at 77.1% for 8,346 contacts under surveillance, a figure that authorities say reflects an active system but still insufficient to reach the set operational targets.
On May 17, two days after the official declaration of the epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain, which later spread to Uganda, as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
According to the WHO, the epidemic has expanded geographically and its true scale may be underestimated. The situation is aggravated by high population mobility, weak health systems, insufficient health infrastructure, difficult access to some areas affected by armed conflicts, and the lack of a vaccine and specific treatment for this virus strain.
Despite this worrying context, the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo remain reassuring and reject any alarmist discourse. They highlight the efforts deployed in collaboration with national and international partners to contain the epidemic. They also recall the country’s experience in managing health crises, as the DRC has already faced sixteen previous Ebola epidemics, all brought under control after major response operations.
