By Precious Mark
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has confirmed that the Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda has reached 563 confirmed cases and 90 deaths, with 31 new infections and six deaths recorded in Ituri Province, DRC, as transmission continues despite ongoing containment efforts.
The update, published on Monday by the Epidemic Intelligence Unit under the Surveillance and Disease Intelligence Division (SDB) shows that the outbreak continues to spread despite ongoing containment efforts in both countries.
In Ituri, Africa CDC also confirmed 9 new recoveries, but warned that response efforts are being undermined by growing community fear and disruption to essential healthcare services.
According to the report, utilisation of health services has declined across all departments, largely due to fears of contamination at the Bunia General Referral Hospital.
As a result, many residents have missed scheduled appointments, including treatment for HIV, tuberculosis (TB), non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and antenatal care services, with no targeted catch-up plan currently in place.
The situation was further complicated by insecurity targeting response operations. On the night of 6 June 2026, an SDB team was attacked by unidentified individuals at Nyamurongo Cemetery , leaving two personnel with major injuries and damage to two vehicles.
Across the region, the DRC remains the hardest hit, accounting for 544 of the 563 confirmed cases,while Uganda has recorded 19 cases.
The outbreak has so far resulted in 90 deaths among confirmed cases, including 88 in the DRC and 2 in Uganda.
Healthcare workers remain significantly affected, with 34 infections recorded in total, 29 in the DRC and 5 in Uganda, and 5 deaths among health workers, all in the DRC .
Africa CDC also reported 210 new contacts listed in the DRC,bringing the total number of monitored contacts across both countries to 5,981, with 4,018 currently under follow-up.
The outbreak has now spread across 4 provinces and districts , affecting 26 health zones, as surveillance and response operations continue in both countries.
Despite the ongoing transmission, 20 recoveries have been recorded, including 16 in the DRC and 4 in Uganda, as health authorities intensify efforts to contain further spread.