BUNIA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization states that Congo’s ongoing Ebola outbreak could be controlled within three months, provided response teams secure sufficient resources. The latest official data indicates 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 fatalities as of Aug. 16. Currently, cases are dispersed across 55 health zones in six provinces, with the case fatality rate reaching 47.4%. This marks the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history and ranks as the second-largest Ebola epidemic worldwide.
Thierno Baldé, WHO incident manager, emphasized that the three-month containment goal hinges on obtaining the necessary response funding. The agency has received approximately $69.3 million of the $115 million needed, roughly 60%. Over the past two weeks, teams have added more than 400 treatment beds. They also dispatched 100 more epidemiologists and over 500 community health workers to enhance surveillance and contact tracing efforts. The response effort requires vehicles, ambulances, medical supplies, and personnel across an expanding affected region.
Transmission has now reached Bas-Uélé, making it the sixth affected province. As of Aug. 12, Ituri accounted for 85% of confirmed cases and 79% of reported deaths nationwide. Authorities reported that 70% to 80% of new cases had no known link to existing patients. To accelerate case identification and patient transfer to treatment centers, health teams are broadening surveillance activities. The first confirmed case in Bas-Uélé traveled from Haut-Uélé prior to symptom onset on Aug. 4.
Response efforts intensify across impacted provinces
On May 15, the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare of the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced the outbreak. Laboratory confirmation in Kinshasa identified Bundibugyo virus, a rarer Ebola strain first discovered in western Uganda in 2007. Since the virus was first identified in 1976, this marks Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak. Uganda has reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, with no new cases there since June 21. These cases included imported infections and secondary transmissions among contacts and healthcare workers.
Bundibugyo virus currently lacks a licensed vaccine or approved targeted treatment. Medical response thus emphasizes early detection, supportive care, infection prevention, contact tracing, and safe burials. Authorities are also expanding community outreach, especially where individuals might seek help outside formal healthcare facilities. Response teams have trained local personnel and provided hygiene supplies to reduce exposure risks during transport and body handling. Early supportive intervention can improve survival odds for patients infected with Bundibugyo virus disease.
Funding shortfalls persist despite expanded surveillance
While contact tracing has improved, it still falls short of public health targets in several affected areas. On Aug. 12, teams tracked 17,460 of 20,740 contacts listed, achieving an 84.2% follow-up rate nationally. To boost detection efficiency and decrease the interval between symptom onset and treatment, health officials have deployed additional field epidemiologists. Community workers are also being used to report suspected cases and facilitate patient transfer to treatment centers. By Aug. 9, officials recorded 155 infections among health workers and 45 deaths.
The WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17. Ongoing efforts involve surveillance, laboratory testing, clinical care, safe burials, and community engagement, led by national authorities and international partners. Baldé highlighted that meeting the three-month containment goal directly depends on securing the necessary resources. Since then, the weekly count has risen by 640 confirmed cases and 367 confirmed deaths since Aug. 9. The response continues despite ongoing insecurity and attacks on healthcare services in eastern Congo.