Congo confirms new Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province with 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths, prompting urgent WHO response.
KINSHASA: Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have declared a new Ebola outbreak in the country’s Kasai Province, where 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths — including four healthcare workers — have been reported as of 4 September 2025.
In response, a national Rapid Response Team, alongside experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), has been deployed to the region. The team includes specialists in epidemiology, infection prevention, laboratory support, and case management. Their mission is to urgently reinforce disease surveillance, improve patient care, and prevent further transmission in affected areas.
Additionally, WHO has sent two tonnes of critical supplies, including personal protective equipment (PPE), mobile lab tools, and essential medical stock. Provincial risk communication officers have also been mobilised to raise awareness among local communities, educating them on how to stay safe and reduce the risk of infection.
“We’re acting with determination to rapidly halt the spread of the virus and protect communities,” said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Banking on the country’s long-standing expertise in controlling viral disease outbreaks, we’re working closely with the health authorities to quickly scale up key response measures to end the outbreak as soon as possible.”
The current risk level remains high, with health officials warning that the number of cases may increase as community transmission is ongoing. The priority now is to trace and monitor those who may have been exposed to the virus and to provide them with timely treatment and vaccination.
The country has a reserve of Ebola treatments and 2,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, which has proven effective against this strain. The vaccine is already prepositioned in Kinshasa and will be dispatched immediately to Kasai to immunise frontline health workers and close contacts of confirmed cases.
