Cautious signals, but no turning point yet. DRC government officials have been cautiously optimistic on social media, pointing to a drop in daily deaths (from ~50 to ~30) and new infections (from ~120 to ~80 per day) as signs the Ebola outbreak may have peaked. Ten of 62 affected health zones have gone more than 22 days without a new case. But UN and WHO officials aren't ready to declare a turning point.

"It remains a deadly and massive epidemic," said UN Ebola coordinator Julien Harneis at a Geneva press briefing. WHO's Olivier le Polain echoed the caution: "It's too early to confidently say we have passed a peak." While Ituri province has seen a slowdown, North Kivu is still seeing alarming transmission — with most new cases occurring outside known chains of contact.

By the Numbers:

• 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 deaths across seven DRC provinces
• 48% case-fatality rate in the outbreak's first 100 days
• 7x more cases in DRC's first 100 days than in the 2014 West Africa outbreak at the same stage
• Contact-tracing rates at ~88% — still too low for effective transmission control

Why it matters: This is the largest Ebola outbreak in DRC's history and the second-largest ever recorded. It's unfolding amid active conflict, weak health infrastructure, and community mistrust — making containment exceptionally difficult. The gap between government optimism and UN caution underscores how fragile any progress remains.