Health and Safety in the DRC

Medical note: This guide is general travel information, not individual medical advice. Speak to a travel-health clinician and follow your own government’s travel advice.

WHO’s public update dated 17 July 2026, reporting data through 15 July, recorded 2,124 confirmed cases and 828 deaths in the DRC outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus. The affected provinces listed by WHO are Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo. The outbreak remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and totals can change quickly.

Reduce exposure

• Avoid contact with the blood or body fluids of anyone who is sick or has died.

• Do not handle wild animals, bushmeat, or objects that may be contaminated.

• Use reputable healthcare facilities and avoid unsafe injections or unregulated medical procedures.

• Follow local screening and public-health instructions, and seek urgent medical advice if symptoms develop during or after travel.

Before making a decision, compare the latest WHO update, the DRC Ministry of Health surveillance page, and current travel advice for the exact provinces on your route.

These are dated planning notes, not a substitute for the live WHO, DRC Ministry of Health and CDC pages immediately before departure.

Recommendations depend on age, health, vaccination history, activities and route. The table below is a starting point for a clinician-led plan.

Malaria medicines: discuss the full schedule

CDC lists atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine as options for the DRC. Depending on the medicine, dosing begins before arrival and continues for a defined period after leaving; suitability differs for pregnancy, age, kidney or psychiatric history, and G6PD status. A clinician must choose the option and schedule. Do not buy an unverified product or combine medicines yourself.

Food and water

• Drink factory-sealed water or water that has been correctly boiled, filtered or disinfected; use it for brushing teeth too.

• Choose food cooked thoroughly and served steaming hot; peel fruit yourself and avoid raw salads when hygiene is uncertain.

• Carry oral rehydration salts and know the warning signs of dehydration. Blood in stool, persistent vomiting, high fever or severe weakness require medical care.

Current eastern DRC warning

UK travel advice updated 9 July 2026 advises against all travel to North Kivu and South Kivu and says commercial flights from Goma and Bukavu airports are not operating. It also advises against all travel to several other eastern areas. Conditions can change with little notice: check advice for every province on your route and do not rely on an old itinerary.

Healthcare

• Medical facilities are limited, especially outside Kinshasa, and emergency evacuation may be necessary.

• Confirm in writing that insurance covers the exact provinces, pre-existing conditions, hospital deposits and evacuation to an appropriate regional centre. Evacuation can be very expensive.

• Carry enough regular medicine in original packaging, plus copies of prescriptions and key medical information.

• Ask your insurer, embassy, employer or established hotel for a current Kinshasa facility referral. Facility capability and acceptance of insurance can change, so a static clinic name is not a guarantee of suitable care.

• Identify a clinic and an evacuation contact before travel. There is no single dependable nationwide emergency number.

• If you become unwell after returning home, tell the clinician that you travelled to the DRC and provide dates and locations.

Everyday safety

• Use trusted transport arranged by a known hotel, host, employer or operator; avoid walking alone after dark.

• Keep phones and valuables discreet, carry only the cash you need, and use guarded ATMs in daylight.

• Avoid demonstrations, political gatherings, military sites and photography of sensitive infrastructure.

• Drink sealed or treated water and choose food that is freshly cooked and served hot.

• Travel-health appointment completed and vaccination record reviewed

• Yellow fever certificate packed with passport

• Malaria prevention and bite-protection plan confirmed

• Mpox, polio, meningitis and cholera advice reviewed for the route

• Insurance explicitly covers the route and emergency evacuation

• Insurer’s 24-hour assistance and evacuation numbers saved offline

• Regular medicines and prescriptions packed in hand luggage

• Oral rehydration salts, repellent, water treatment and basic first-aid supplies packed

• Current outbreak and travel advice checked for each destination

• Trusted airport transfer and local transport arranged

• Emergency contacts, clinic details and offline document copies saved

• Food and water plan agreed with travelling companions

• Family or employer has itinerary and check-in times