Barring new cases, the patient’s recovery kicks off a 42-day countdown to declaring the country’s 16th outbreak over.
Published On 19 Oct 2025
The last Ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been released from a treatment centre in Kasai province, according to the United Nations health agency.
The patient is the 19th to recover out of 64 total cases recorded since the outbreak was declared in September, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Sunday.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 items
- list 1 of 3‘Many will die’: UN aid chief warns of fallout as humanitarian relief cut
- list 2 of 3Uganda declares end to latest Ebola outbreak
- list 3 of 3DR Congo announces new Ebola outbreak
end of list
If no new cases are discovered in the next 42 days, the outbreak will be declared over.
Mohamed Janabi, the WHO’s director for Africa, said the recovery was a “remarkable achievement”, given the outbreak began just six weeks ago.
“The country’s robust response, with support from WHO and partners, was pivotal to this achievement,” he added in a social media post.
In a video alongside the post on X, health workers were seen celebrating as the final patient exited the treatment centre in Bulape.
Today, the last #Ebola patient in Bulape, #DRC was discharged from the treatment centre.
The country’s robust response, with support from WHO and partners, was pivotal to this achievement. A 42-day countdown to declare the outbreak over has now begun.
Until then, @WHO and… pic.twitter.com/YTEpGzYwPW
— Prof. Mohamed Janabi (@ProfJanabi) October 19, 2025
The outbreak, which is the DRC’s 16th to date, was declared on September 4 as Ebola cases appeared i