• The outbreak has reached 10,091 confirmed cases¹ and 4,890 deaths across every affected country. The World Health Organization (WHO) has tracked cases since the beginning of the outbreak; most cases have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and their Ministry of Public Health has reported national figures.

• As Ebola continues to spread, strained health services, disrupted livelihoods, and declining access to routine healthcare will threaten containment efforts and put more lives at risk across the DRC.

• 6 in 10 reported Ebola deaths in the WHO’s latest reporting period occurred outside treatment centers, raising urgent concerns about barriers to potentially lifesaving care.

• ONE is calling on developed countries to fully fund an effective response. Donors have announced more than US$2.1 billion, but only US$28.5 million is documented as new funding to address the scale of the outbreak.  

Washington, DC, October 27, 2026. The 2026 Ebola outbreak has passed 10,000 confirmed cases, according to the total the WHO has consolidated across every affected country since the outbreak began, with 4,890 confirmed deaths. Nearly all of them are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose Ministry of Public Health reports the national count in its daily situation report. 

Of the 10,091 total cases, 10,060 have occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where 4,887 people have died. 

The ONE Campaign is calling on developed countries to fully fund an effective response to end the outbreak and ensure frontline workers are paid and protected. Donors also need to invest in multilateral efforts, such as CEPI, The Global Fund, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to support the development and distribution of preventative measures and treatments once they are available.  

The response to the crisis has been hampered by inadequate protective equipment and even unpaid wages, leading to strikes. Adverse conditions have been compounded by hostility to aid workers and burial staff, reportedly motivated by false narratives spread locally and online.  

Mark Green, CEO of the ONE Campaign, said: 

“Ebola is killing nearly every other person confirmed to have it, and the true toll is likely higher. Behind every number is a family and community in mourning. We know how to end outbreaks, but only if the prevention and response is adequately funded and boldly led. Right now, a third of confirmed patients are in facilities not equipped to treat Ebola. Health workers have gone on strike over unpaid wages. A lack of protective equipment has seen hundreds infected with Ebola, many of them fatally. Donors have announced more than US$2.1 billion, but only US$28.5 million of that total represents new funding. We need every dollar tracked and spent on beds, pay and protection for health workers, and finding cases early. Every delay costs lives.” 

This outbreak was caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which is one of the species that causes Ebola disease. It was declared in May and has become the largest and deadliest in the DRC’s history, overtaking the 2018-2020 epidemic. The virus has no approved vaccine or treatment. Trials are underway to test vaccines for the Bundibugyo species. 

This Ebola outbreak is approaching the devastating 2014-2016 West African crisis involving the Ebola Zaire strain, which recorded more than 28,600 confirmed, probable and suspected cases and more than 11,000 deaths. In the current outbreak, nearly 1 in 2 people with a confirmed Ebola case have died. In the WHO’s latest reporting period, more than six in ten confirmed deaths continued to occur in the community instead of in health centers. 

The funding gap is the clearest obstacle to ending the outbreak. The UN’s country-wide humanitarian appeal for the DRC, which covers every crisis in the country, was 54% funded on October 21, (US$1.15 billion of the US$2.13 billion target). 

Separately, donors have announced more than US$2.1 billion for the Ebola response. Approximately US$1.4 billion was already in existing budgets, standing reserves and regular aid budgets, and only US$28.5 million is documented as new, according to ONE’s analysis of donors’ budget records. 

Ebola is impacting a health system dealing with other crises. This year, the DRC recorded 44,773 suspected cholera cases by August 30, and 71 cases of type 2 vaccine-derived polio by October 14, versus seven cases in 2025. In August, UNICEF reported that use of essential health services in the four Ituri hotspots fell 42% between April and June, and first-dose measles vaccination rates in Mongbwalu fell 69%. WHO’s Emergency Committee reported on August 18 that maternal deaths in Ituri had doubled since May. 

Containment is possible. Uganda held its outbreak to 20 cases and two deaths. They declared it over on August 27, 42 days after its last patient left care. Kenya had nine cases in one cluster by October 20, and Nigeria confirmed one imported case in Abuja the same day. 

The ONE Campaign’s Recommendations:  

• Build surge treatment and isolation capacity, including field hospitals, for a health system charged with treating more than Ebola. In the DRC, there were about 1,830 planned beds to address the surge in cases, but by October 19, only 1,539 were installed. A third of confirmed patients are still in facilities not equipped to address Ebola.

• Ensure new funding is transparent, traceable, and channeled through the Africa CDC. On September 23, the Africa CDC called for “full transparency and traceability of every dollar,” and reported on October 14 that about US$962 million had been disbursed directly to international organizations and NGOs, with more than US$700 million of it still unknown to the DRC’s national authorities, which Africa CDC called a gap in financial transparency.

• Fund and fast-track the countermeasures the Bundibugyo species lacks. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines, treatments, or rapid tests for this species. The licensed Ebola tools act only on the Zaire species. 

• Resource the surveillance and contact tracing needed to find cases early. Tracing covers about 80% of listed contacts, under the 85% target, and six in ten recent deaths occurred in the community before people reached care.

• Protect, pay and equip frontline health workers. Healthcare workers have staged numerous strikes due to lack of pay. To date, 301 frontline workers have been infected with Ebola, and 48 have died.

• Invest in prevention and preparedness. Waiting until an outbreak grows costs more lives and resources. Strong health systems, equipped laboratories, trained health workers, surveillance and early detection are what stop outbreaks before they become emergencies. 

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Notes to Editors: 

1) On Tuesday October 27, the 2026 Ebola outbreak reached 10,091 confirmed cases: 

That figure has been aggregated across cases in the DRC (10,060) and global cases (31). 
 
For further analysis, please refer to: https://data.one.org/analysis/2026-ebola-outbreak 
 
For more information, or to request an interview with a spokesperson, please contact Ben Weich: [email protected] 

About the ONE Campaign: 

ONE is a global, nonpartisan organization advocating for the investments needed to create economic opportunities and healthier lives in Africa. Since 2004, we have helped secure more than $1 trillion in new investments to build a safer, more prosperous world. Our trusted advocacy combines hard-hitting data, grassroots activism and political engagement to influence decision-makers and drive lasting change. Learn more at ONE.org