The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on September 4 declared its 16th Ebola outbreak after health authorities confirmed 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths, including four healthcare workers, in Kasai Province. The outbreak is centred in the Bulapé and Mweka health zones, near the Angolan border.

Laboratory analysis identified the Zaire strain of the virus, the first recorded in Kasai since 2008. The country’s most recent epidemic occurred in 2022 in Équateur Province and was contained within two months.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that case numbers are likely to rise and has dispatched a rapid response team to support Congolese health workers.

“We’re acting with determination to rapidly halt the spread of the virus and protect communities,” said Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO’s 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.”

WHO has deployed treatment stockpiles and transferred 2,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine from Kinshasa to Kasai to protect frontline staff. Additional laboratory equipment and protective gear have also been delivered. Ebola carries an average case fatality rate of around 50%.

Kasai, which endured ethnic conflict and mass displacement in 2017, faces renewed pressure as health authorities confront the outbreak. Neighbouring Angola is monitoring potential cross-border transmission, while regional trade and movement through the Kasai corridor could be disrupted if the outbreak spreads.

Previous crises highlight the potential economic toll: the 2014–16 West African epidemic cost an estimated $53bn, while the 2018–20 Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC drained more than $1bn in emergency spending and trade losses.

The 2022 Équateur outbreak was contained within weeks, but the 2018–20 crisis lasted nearly two years, underscoring the risks if the Kasai outbreak extends beyond its epicentre.