Over the past week, the Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded high Ebola mortality rates, reaching nearly one case every 28 minutes. According to government data, by August 16, 2325 deaths and 4945 confirmed cases had been registered. This figure surpasses the 2299 victims who died during the outbreak in the country between 2018 and 2020.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, was declared on May 15. It is currently the second deadliest Ebola outbreak globally, trailing the 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic, which claimed over 11,000 lives.
The virus is spreading faster than medical teams can track. It is noted that between 60% and 70% of new cases are found among individuals who were not previously listed as contacts, indicating gaps in surveillance and contact tracing systems.
Hospitals Are Under Growing Pressure
UN humanitarian mission head Tom Fletcher called on authorities and aid agencies to double the number of teams dedicated to safe burials, triple treatment capacity, strengthen contact tracing, and deploy more experienced leaders. He stated: "Ebola is winning in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We cannot allow the virus to outpace our response."
Fletcher announced the allocation of an additional $30.5 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, increasing the total amount allocated to the DRC and neighboring countries to over $54 million. Furthermore, the UN has deployed 20 additional humanitarian staff to the epicenter of the outbreak, and the World Food Programme is expanding food assistance in Ebola treatment centers.
The outbreak is placing a severe strain on regular hospitals and clinics. By August 15, beds designated for suspected Ebola patients in North Kivu province were fully occupied. Suspected cases in Butembo, Masereke, Wuhovi, and Kalunguta were isolated in existing medical facilities that were not officially designated as Ebola transit centers, according to the country's state health institute report.
According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report published on August 14, as of August 9, at least 155 healthcare workers had been infected with Ebola, and 45 people had died. The infections highlight persistent weaknesses in infection prevention and control, especially outside designated Ebola treatment centers, as pointed out by the WHO.