The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm over the rapidly worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), describing its spread as unprecedented in speed. Since the epidemic began, authorities have recorded 3,874 confirmed cases, including 1,751 fatalities. This marks one of the deadliest outbreaks in the country’s history, following the devastating 2018-2020 crisis that claimed nearly 2,300 lives out of 3,500 cases.
WHO Director-General’s urgent mission in Kinshasa
The WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, arrived in Kinshasa, the DRC’s capital, on Tuesday for high-level discussions. A meeting with President Félix Tshisekedi was scheduled for Wednesday to address the escalating crisis. This follows his late May visit to Ituri, a northeastern province and the epicenter of the current outbreak, where nearly 90% of cases have been identified.
The current wave is driven by the Bundibugyo Ebola strain, for which no vaccine or treatment exists. The outbreak is striking regions with weak state presence and underfunded health systems, compounding response efforts.
«The virus continues to spread at a pace that outstrips our response capabilities,» warned a WHO spokesperson, Tarik Jasarevic, during a Geneva briefing on Tuesday. He emphasized the urgent need for enhanced financial support and resources to bolster treatment facilities, field investigation teams, and safe burial protocols.
Ebola’s deadly legacy and regional spread
Ebola, transmitted through bodily fluids and causing hemorrhagic fever, has claimed over 15,000 lives across Africa over the past five decades. The current outbreak has now expanded into five provinces—Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, and Tshopo—over the past two months.
Breakthroughs in vaccine research
In a significant development, Canada has granted Moderna permission to initiate clinical trials for a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain. The candidate, rVSV Bundibugyo, deemed the most promising by the WHO, is also being developed by Hilleman Laboratories in Singapore.
Separately, a volunteer in Oxford, United Kingdom received the first dose of another experimental vaccine in late July. This candidate, developed by the University of Oxford, employs the same technology as the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. Efforts are also underway to evaluate antiviral treatments like remdesivir and obeldesivir, alongside a monoclonal antibody called MBP134.
The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, several weeks after the first cases were detected in a country of over 100 million people.
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