Beyond Ebola: The DRC is also battling a devastating cholera outbreak

While the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) — declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May 2026 — has the potential to become the worst Ebola outbreak in history, it is not the only health crisis ravaging the country. The DRC is also facing one of its worst cholera outbreaks (1).

Since January 2025, the DRC has reported nearly 99,000 suspected cholera cases, including 2,880 deaths (case fatality rate of 2.9%). Two provinces affected by the Ebola outbreak — South Kivu and North Kivu — are the main cholera hotspots, accounting for 68.3% of cholera cases in the eastern provinces (2).

The structural drivers of the cholera outbreak are deeply entrenched. Only 43% of the DRC's population has access to basic water services, and just 15% have access to basic sanitation. Flooding in eastern areas has further intensified the outbreak by damaging already fragile water and sanitation systems, forcing populations to rely on unsafe water sources. Persistent armed conflict and insecurity in eastern DRC compound the crisis further, restricting access to health services and driving massive population displacement (1).

Multiple challenges are hindering the response. Critical shortages of infection prevention and case management supplies (including treatment kits, chlorine, and household water purification products) have left health workers without essential tools. Staff who were managing the cholera response are being redeployed to the Ebola outbreak, with no replacement plan in place. Remote villages remain cut off from supply chains, with the distance between communities and health facilities directly contributing to preventable deaths. As the number of cholera treatment centers is insufficient to meet the scale of need, the gap between what exists and what is required continues to widen (2).

The DRC is simultaneously battling these major disease outbreaks against a backdrop of armed conflict, population displacement, collapsed infrastructure, and severe cuts in international aid. Immediate and sustained international support would make a meaningful difference.