WHO warns of cholera in DR Congo: 1,800 dead, 60,000 cases amid Ebola outbreak

What the WHO reported

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned at a press conference in Geneva on 4 November that the Democratic Republic of Congo is battling two epidemics at once. Ebola has caused more than 5,300 deaths across more than 10,400 cases over five months, according to figures cited in several reports. Other reports gave the Ebola figures as more than 10,000 cases and 5,000 deaths. Cholera, which Tedros described as the country's worst outbreak in decades, has recorded more than 60,000 cases and 1,800 deaths since the start of 2026. The introduction of one report gave nearly 2,000 cholera deaths, but the body of the same report and the WHO figure it cited stood at 1,800.

Overlapping epidemics in the east

Most cases of both diseases come from North Kivu and South Kivu, the eastern provinces where armed conflict has destroyed key infrastructure. The fighting has also worsened a critical shortage of water and sanitation, conditions that favor the spread of disease. Tedros said Ebola transmission has slowed in some areas, but new hotspots continue to appear. He cited population displacement, bad weather, attacks on health infrastructure and difficult access to remote regions as obstacles to containment. The WHO also noted that 2025 recorded the highest number of reported cases in more than 25 years, and said 2026 looks set to be even worse. The average case fatality rate is around 3%, which the agency linked to difficulties in accessing treatment.

Ebola, five months (more than)5,300

Cholera, since start of 20261,800

Ebola, five months (more than)

5300 deaths

Cholera, since start of 2026

1800 deaths

Data from the article text

Vaccines and response

The WHO has recommended adding two candidate vaccines to clinical trials led by the DRC's National Institute for Biomedical Research. One was developed by the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India, and the other by Moderna, and both are aimed specifically at the Bundibugyo strain. Separately, the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision, which includes WHO, UNICEF, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Medecins Sans Frontieres, approved 7.4 million doses for 2026. Gavi financially backed that decision, and a further request is also under review. Tedros stressed that vaccination campaigns deserve special attention, particularly in the east of the country.

Spread risk and travel curbs

Tedros warned that cholera cases are now being reported along the Congo River basin, which could allow the disease to reach Kinshasa, the capital in the west of the country. The WHO said the rainy season now under way could favor transmission, including in the capital. It also warned that the two epidemics risk overlapping in conflict-affected areas, which could complicate the response. Tedros called on the international community to lift travel restrictions imposed on affected countries. He argued that these measures penalize transparency and hurt the global health response.