The letter
Bulletin No. 131Situation as of 22 Sep 2026
Summary of the INSP bulletin, with each new release
The bulletin of 22 Sep 2026, published 23 Sep 2026, reports 47 new confirmed cases and 20 deaths. 47 cases is below the seven-day average of 59.4 a day. No new health zone since 18 Sep 2026: the outbreak remains in 63 zones across 7 provinces.
01The toll
Since the outbreak began, 7,820 confirmed cases and 3,779 deaths: 48.3% of patients have died. 1,951 people have recovered. 16 more than the day before. 885 patients are hospitalised in Ebola treatment centres. Over the past seven days, an average of 59.4 cases and 28.9 deaths a day, against 80.1 cases and 38.1 deaths the week before.
02Where
Ituri accounts for 35 of the 47 new cases. Then Nord-Kivu with 11 and Sud-Ubangi with 1. The other 4 provinces report none. 5 zones carry 34 of these 47 cases: Bunia 12, Mandima 7, Komanda 6, Rwampara 5 and Katwa 4. 49 of the 63 affected health zones reported at least one new case in the past three weeks; 14 reported none.
03Deaths
Of the 20 deaths reported today, 13 occurred in the community, that is outside a treatment centre, and 7 in a treatment centre. Deaths outside a centre: 10 in Ituri and 3 in Nord-Kivu. Those in a treatment centre: 4 in Ituri, 2 in Nord-Kivu and 1 in Haut-Uélé.
04The response
2,806 reports of possible patients ("alerts") were received; 2,687 were checked and 449 retained as suspected cases, to be tested. Of 328 samples tested in the laboratory, 46 were positive, that is 14.0 %. 78.3 % of the people who had been close to a patient (the "contacts") were seen by follow-up teams, below the 85% threshold the INSP has set itself. Ebola treatment centres are 58.8 % full: 878 patients for 1,492 beds. Beyond capacity: Nord-Kivu, 377 patients for 308 beds. Safe burials, carried out by protected teams to avoid contagion: 158 deaths reported, 131 burials carried out, 125 bodies tested. 38 bodies could not be tested because families objected. Around new cases, 42 prevention rings were set up out of 80 expected, that is the disinfection of the home and the follow-up of relatives. Vaccination: 4,748 people have received the Ervebo vaccine since the campaign began on 26 Aug 2026: 3,874 in Tshopo and 874 in Bas-Uélé (figure of 20 Sep 2026). Since the previous bulletin, 100 more in Tshopo.
05The difficulties encountered
In Ituri, six treatment centres are full on the suspected-case side, 19 bodies have not been sampled, for lack of supplies or because families refused, and only 9 zones out of 28 report their data. In Nord-Kivu, one patient in four (25.7%) is treated outside the planned facilities, no bed is free in Butembo or Katwa, and community outreach teams have gone unpaid for more than four months. In Tshopo, only a third of the targeted health workers are vaccinated, 126 thawed doses expire on 24 September, and two patients who fled the treatment centre are still at home. In Bas-Uélé, no treatment centre and no ambulance, and only 16 of 41 control points are running.