Ebola outbreak continues across DR Congo and Uganda, with cases rising to 894 and deaths reaching 204 across affected regions.
The agency disclosed the figures during a webinar on Thursday, where Wessam Mankoula, acting head of emergency preparedness and response, also noted that 74 patients have recovered since the outbreak was officially declared on May 15.
According to Mankoula, Uganda’s situation has remained relatively contained, with 19 confirmed cases and two deaths, translating to a 10.5 percent fatality rate. He added that seven people have recovered and that all known contacts have been fully listed within a single affected health zone in Kampala.
He explained that the epidemic in the DRC is driving most of the caseload, with Ituri Province identified as the main hotspot. The region has reported 91 confirmed cases and accounts for nearly 78 percent of all deaths recorded in the country.
Mankoula also highlighted growing concern over insecurity in North Kivu, saying limited access for health responders has worsened surveillance gaps, reduced contact tracing, and contributed to a higher fatality rate in the area.
He noted that the outbreak has now spread across 32 health zones in both countries, expanding from just a few zones in the early stages to 11 by late May and 32 by the fourth week of reporting.
The official added that case numbers have increased by 38 percent in the latest reporting period, although the geographic spread remains concentrated within the original three provinces. He warned that contact tracing continues to fall far below required levels.
He further explained that for more than 800 confirmed cases, between 17,000 and 35,000 contacts should typically be identified and monitored daily. However, only about 6,000 contacts have been listed, representing roughly 20 percent of the expected total.
Of those, around 4,000 are being actively followed, which he said is still less than 15 percent of the required monitoring capacity needed to quickly detect new infections.
Mankoula stressed that without approved vaccines or treatments for the Sudan strain, containment relies heavily on early detection, thorough contact tracing, and consistent community-level monitoring.
He also raised concerns about safe burial operations, noting major shortfalls in response capacity. Only seven of the required 49 burial teams are currently active, along with seven of 98 necessary vehicles and just 84 of the 540 personnel needed on the ground.
The Africa CDC had earlier declared the outbreak a public health emergency of continental concern on May 18, just days after confirmation of the spread across the region.