Kinshasa, DR Congo (Running Africa) — The United Nations has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could inflict up to $3.6 billion in economic losses across Africa and eliminate more than 328,000 jobs if the virus spreads beyond its current hotspots.
The warning comes as health authorities continue to battle an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which was declared on 15 May 2026. Since then, officials have confirmed 1,307 infections and 377 deaths in the DRC, while additional cases have also been reported in neighboring Uganda.
Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks, the Bundibugyo strain currently has no approved vaccine or proven treatment, heightening concerns that the virus could spread to neighboring countries, including South Sudan, Rwanda, and Angola.
According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the outbreak risks evolving from a public health emergency into a broader economic and development crisis if containment efforts are unsuccessful. Even in the most optimistic scenario—where infections remain confined to the DRC and Uganda—the DRC’s economy could still lose an estimated $1 billion in gross domestic product (GDP).
The outbreak remains concentrated in Ituri Province, a conflict-affected region where insecurity, community mistrust, and unsafe burial practices have complicated disease surveillance and response efforts.
In an effort to slow transmission, the Congolese government has introduced stricter public health measures, including a ban on public gatherings in four provinces, among them the capital, Kinshasa.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks over the past decade, with the current epidemic marking the country’s 17th recorded outbreak, underscoring the continued challenge of containing one of Africa’s deadliest infectious diseases.
