DRC medics celebrate as final Ebola patient leaves Mongbwalu treatment centre

DRC medics celebrate as final Ebola patient leaves Mongbwalu treatment centre

Footage circulating on social media shows a woman dancing as she leaves the facility, surrounded by healthcare workers celebrating her recovery.

Healthcare workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have broken into song and dance to celebrate the recovery and discharge of the final patient from an Ebola treatment centre in Mongbwalu, offering a moment of hope amid a deadly outbreak.

Footage circulating on social media shows a woman dancing as she leaves the facility, surrounded by healthcare workers celebrating her recovery.

Some workers dance alongside her, while others join in from the opposite side of a partition separating the groups. Those inside the treatment area are seen wearing yellow protective suits, white coverings, face shields or goggles, masks, gloves and boots.

On the other side, healthcare workers dressed in green medical uniforms and boots join the celebrations, with some wearing protective head coverings.

The footage captures workers waving their hands and dancing to music accompanied by percussion instruments, including drums. One person is also seen recording the moment on a mobile phone.

The facility, run by international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), is located in Mongbwalu, Ituri Province, where the outbreak was first identified.

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The patient's discharge marks a significant milestone for healthcare teams treating those infected and working to contain the virus. However, the departure of the final patient from a treatment centre does not mean the wider outbreak has ended.

The DRC declared the outbreak on May 15, 2026, after cases of the rare Bundibugyo virus were identified in Ituri Province. The World Health Organization subsequently reported that transmission had spread to other areas, posing challenges for health workers seeking to contain infections.

The outbreak has also raised concerns in neighbouring Kenya, which reported nine confirmed cases, including two deaths. Authorities linked the Kenyan cases to an imported infection and reported no evidence of wider community transmission at the time.

The celebrations in Mongbwalu offer encouragement to communities affected by the outbreak while highlighting the work of healthcare teams. Continued surveillance, contact tracing and prompt treatment remain essential to preventing further infections.