Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have surpassed 9,000, according to data from the Health Ministry, as efforts to control the outbreak face significant challenges. As of Tuesday, the ministry reported 9,066 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths, indicating a death toll that accounts for nearly half of the known cases.
The outbreak, attributed to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has become the largest and deadliest in the history of the DRC. This outbreak's toll is second only to the West African epidemic from 2014 to 2016, which recorded 28,600 confirmed cases and over 11,000 deaths across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Currently, there are no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain, raising concerns about potential cross-border transmission. Recently, Kenya reported its first imported case involving a Kenyan national who had traveled from the DRC through Uganda to Nairobi, where he subsequently died.
Earlier this year, Uganda reported 20 cases and two deaths but was declared Ebola-free in August. The ongoing outbreak in the DRC was officially announced in mid-May, although some experts believe it may have started as early as February. The virus spreads through contact with bodily fluids and has affected seven provinces in the northern and eastern regions of the country.
Efforts to contain the outbreak are hindered by mistrust from local communities towards health workers, with some residents believing the disease is a pretext for officials to misappropriate funds. Additionally, the outbreak is occurring amidst ongoing conflict between the M23 rebel group and government forces, complicating the delivery of healthcare resources to remote areas.
In September, a local politician in eastern DRC was killed after defending the government’s Ebola response on the radio, as reported by his political party. WHO Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu announced on Tuesday that a clinical trial to evaluate vaccine efficacy against the Bundibugyo strain is being prepared for the DRC in the coming weeks.