The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 1,500 people, official data released on Thursday showed, a rise of approximately 50 per cent in just one week that underscores how severely the outbreak is outpacing response efforts. The current outbreak, declared on 14 May 2026 in the Ituri Province of eastern Congo, has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, reaching its grim milestones nearly three times faster than the devastating 2014 to 2016 West Africa epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people and remains the deadliest in history. The World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 16 May 2026. A funding gap and ongoing armed conflict in eastern Congo have further hampered containment efforts. Canada has imposed temporary entry restrictions barring foreign nationals who have recently visited Congo from entering the country, citing the Ebola risk.