The death toll from the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has exceeded 3,000, according to a report from Dutch public broadcaster NOS on Wednesday.
The report, published on September 2, 2026, cites figures showing that more than 3,000 people have now died from the viral disease in the Central African nation. The outbreak has been concentrated in the country's eastern provinces, which have struggled with insecurity and community mistrust that have complicated response efforts.
The World Health Organization has called for an expansion of Ebola containment measures in the DRC, according to a separate report cited by the Noordhollands Dagblad. The call comes as health workers continue to face challenges reaching affected communities in areas where armed groups operate.
In response to the escalating crisis, the United Kingdom has pledged an additional £50 million to support efforts to curb the outbreak, as reported by MarketScreener Nederland. The funding is intended to bolster response activities, including vaccination campaigns and contact tracing.
The DRC government has activated a six-month response plan to tackle the epidemic, according to reporting from Vietnam.vn. The plan outlines a coordinated approach to containing the virus, which has spread across multiple health zones since the outbreak was declared.
The current outbreak is one of the deadliest Ebola epidemics on record, second only to the 2014-2016 West Africa crisis that killed more than 11,000 people. The virus, which causes severe hemorrhagic fever, is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids of infected people or animals.
International health officials have stressed the need for sustained funding and security to bring the outbreak under control. The coming months will be critical in determining whether the six-month response plan can succeed in reversing the trend of rising infections and deaths.
