Health workers in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are confronting severe challenges as a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak escalates. The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly warned that this outbreak might be one of the world’s worst.

The haemorrhagic viral disease previously caused the deadliest outbreak on record in West Africa, killing more than 11,000 people between 2014 and 2016. In the second-largest outbreak from 2018 to 2020, eastern DRC recorded 2,287 deaths.

The current outbreak was officially declared on May 15, after weeks of undetected transmission. By July 21, WHO reported over 2,500 cases and 1,000 deaths, a pace faster than any previous outbreak in the region. For comparison, it took more than 10 months during the 2018 outbreak for cases to reach 2,000.

Authorities announced on July 16 that the last confirmed patient had recovered, but the situation remains critical. Health workers have also faced additional hardships, including strikes and attacks, complicating response efforts.

The WHO has cautioned that the official case count may underestimate the true scale of the outbreak.

Sources