The Democratic Republic of Congo has begun a 90-day period of heightened disease surveillance and activated a survivor-care programme with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, following the official declaration that the Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province has ended.
Kinshasa authorities confirmed that the country had recorded no new cases for 42 days since the last patient was discharged on 19 October 2025, meeting the criteria for declaring the end of the outbreak.
Announcing the development, Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare, Roger Kamba, said scientific and operational indicators confirmed that the chain of transmission had been successfully broken.
“On behalf of the government, I hereby officially declare the end of the 16th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” he said.
Kamba noted that the rapid, coordinated response from the Ministry of Health, with strong support from WHO and other partners, was crucial in containing the outbreak in Bulape Health Zone, a remote community with limited infrastructure.
The outbreak resulted in 64 cases—53 confirmed and 11 probable—and 45 deaths. Over 112 WHO experts and frontline responders were deployed, while more than 150 tonnes of medical supplies were delivered to support the response.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Janabi, praised the swift containment of the outbreak.
“Controlling and ending this Ebola outbreak in three months is a remarkable achievement.
WHO is proud to have supported the response and to leave behind stronger systems that will protect communities long after the outbreak has ended,” he said.
For the first time, an innovative Infectious Disease Treatment Module (IDTM) was deployed, offering safer, more dignified care for patients and improved protection for health workers. Mass vaccination also played a crucial role, with more than 47,500 people immunized.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, facilitated the rapid deployment of over 48,000 vaccine doses from the global stockpile and supported logistics, cold chain systems, and delivery funding.
Gavi’s Senior Programme Manager for Global Health Security, Allyson Russell, hailed the response as evidence of what is possible when strong mechanisms are in place.
“Swift resolution of this outbreak shows how surveillance, contact tracing, isolation, case management, and timely vaccination can rapidly bring Ebola outbreaks under control,” she said.
Russell added that Gavi will continue to maintain the global vaccine stockpile and support preventive vaccination for frontline workers in high-risk countries.
The response also addressed critical infrastructure gaps, including the lack of clean water at Bulape Hospital. WHO and its partners provided reliable water systems for both clinical use and community access—improvements expected to last for years.
With the outbreak officially declared over, health authorities are transitioning from Ebola-specific interventions to broader Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR).
WHO says it will continue working closely with national and provincial authorities to ensure preparedness and rapid response should any flare-ups occur.