Hard truths. Bold Insights. Real talk.
An attack in Cantine-Aloya, North Kivu, reportedly killed at least 24 civilians and forced Ebola patients to flee treatment. Africa CDC is warning that disrupted care, contact tracing and surveillance could increase transmission risks.
The World Health Organization (WHO), in an update issued on October 8, reported 33 new cases in Ituri and 30 in North Kivu during the latest 24-hour reporting period.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said 45 of the 63 affected health zones remain in active transmission, with insecurity and community resistance hampering surveillance and response operations.
Olivier le Polain, head of the WHO's epidemiology and analytics response unit, said 7,200 cases and 3,475 deaths had been recorded in seven provinces as of September 12.
The government described the reported abuses as "crimes and serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed against civilians" and accused M23 of continuing actions that have worsened the situation in areas under its control.
MSF said DRC recorded more than 108,643 suspected measles cases between January and July 19, with 1,394 deaths reported.
According to a report by the WHO Regional Office for Africa, the outbreak is being driven by continued transmission in hotspot health zones across Ituri and North Kivu provinces, a rise in community deaths and new infections spreading into areas that had not previously reported cases.
Eastern DR Congo has endured decades of conflict and instability. The latest violence comes as government forces continue fighting the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group in North and South Kivu, regions that are also grappling with an Ebola outbreak.
On Wednesday alone, 21 new confirmed cases were reported, along with six deaths, mainly in Ituri and North Kivu provinces. Health officials said the pattern points to continued transmission in affected communities.
The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus and has now spread across 29 health zones in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.
DR Congo’s Health Ministry says 71 new Ebola cases were confirmed within 24 hours, raising the total to 452. Most new cases are in Ituri and North Kivu, amid ongoing insecurity and weak health systems.
Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesman for the North Kivu region's rebel governor, said women and children were among those working at the coltan mine when it collapsed. Coltan is a valuable mineral used in electronics such as smartphones and computers.
In just two months (March and April 2025), ActionAid recorded 381 cases of sexual violence in North and South Kivu.
