The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has exceeded 2,100 confirmed cases and remains the fastest-growing epidemic of its kind on record, the World Health Organization said Thursday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said active armed conflict, insecurity and community resistance were hampering access to affected areas and limiting the effectiveness of response operations.

He warned that transmission continues to outpace response efforts despite significant gains in surveillance, treatment and research.

According to the latest report from Congolese health authorities, the country has confirmed 828 deaths. The outbreak, which was declared on May 15, has spread from an initial cluster in the country's northeastern region to five provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo. Ituri accounts for nearly 90% of all confirmed infections.

Health officials are also actively monitoring the risk of regional spread after a confirmed case was detected in Mahagi, a border health zone near Uganda. Ghebreyesus said the outbreak has become the third-largest Ebola epidemic on record and is expanding at an unprecedented pace.

The WHO expressed particular concern that more than 80% of newly identified infections are not linked to known contacts, indicating undetected chains of transmission. About two-thirds of fatalities occur in communities before patients can access medical care.

Despite these challenges, the response capacity has grown considerably. Treatment facilities now provide more than 800 beds, while laboratory capacity has expanded from one laboratory at the start of the outbreak to 16 across affected regions. 

As of mid-July, 725 patients were hospitalized or in isolation, and 390 people had recovered. Several treatment centers, however, remain overcrowded.

Research into new medical countermeasures is also advancing. Clinical trials are evaluating monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral remdesivir, while vaccine studies and post-exposure antiviral research have recently begun.

Ghebreyesus urged the international community to increase financial support, warning that the joint WHO-Africa CDC preparedness and response plan still faces a funding gap exceeding $400 million. 

At the same time, Uganda's related Ebola outbreak is nearing an official end, after its last confirmed patient was discharged, although continued cross-border movement remains a significant concern for the DRC.