DRC Deploys Mobile Data to Combat Ebola Outbreak

The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded 3,039 deaths and over 6,250 cases in the current Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak, which the WHO describes as the fastest ever recorded.

Authorities are using anonymized mobile phone data from Vodacom Congo to map population movements from Ituri, helping to direct surveillance resources to high-risk areas.

Thirteen African nations signed a cross-border cooperation agreement in Addis Ababa on August 28, 2026, to institutionalize health-data sharing and emergency coordination for future outbreaks.