Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for a response from the international community to curb the spread of the Ebola epidemic affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has already left 2,557 dead and 5,375 confirmed cases, in order to “save many human lives.”

[DR Congo’s Ebola Epidemic Grows Exponentially: Pope Leo XIV Calls for International Response to Halt Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo](https://www.telesurenglish.net/pope-leo-xiv-calls-for-international-response-to-halt-ebola-outbreak-in-dr-congo/)

“In my prayer I often remember the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly because of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which unfortunately is causing many victims,” the pontiff said after the Sunday Angelus prayer.

He added: “I encourage a response from the international community that also involves local communities in prevention efforts to save many human lives.”

Pope Leo urges international action to curb the deadly Ebola outbreak in DR Congo. More than 2,500 people have reportedly died in the outbreak. The country’s 17th Ebola outbreak has surpassed previous records for confirmed cases. pic.twitter.com/Oi6qYftG0l

— HG Policy (@hgpolicy) August 23, 2026

The Government of the DRC on Saturday raised the number of deaths to 2,557 and infections to 5,375 due to the current outbreak, which is already positioned as the second deadliest in history globally and the one with the most infections recorded in the African country.

According to the latest bulletin published by the Congolese Ministry of Communication, with data collected until August 20, the fatality rate currently stands at 47.6%.

In addition, 737 patients are in “isolation or hospitalized” and 1,167 people have recovered from the disease, while the contact tracing rate – the percentage of contacts of an infected person located by health services – is at 85.5%, exceeding the established goal of 85%.

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.