Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surpassed 4,000 for the first time during the second-largest outbreak in history. Driven by the Bundibugyo virus, the epidemic spreads faster than containment efforts while frontline health workers endure months without pay and severe regional conflict.
Congo Crosses 4,000 Ebola Cases as the Epidemic Outpaces Containment Efforts
Democratic Republic of Congo’s confirmed Ebola cases have risen above 4,000 for the first time in the current outbreak, according to government data cited by Reuters. The epidemic stands as the world’s second-largest and has been described as the fastest-spreading on record. Public health officials and epidemiological experts indicate that infections started circulating months before the outbreak was officially declared on May 15, meaning the true number of cases could be much higher than the official tally.
A report published in the journal Science concluded that Congo’s outbreak had started in January, or even earlier, in Ituri. Researchers identified more than 500 suspected cases between mid-January and May 15. Delayed detection, overwhelmed surveillance, military conflict, and a lack of vaccines and treatments for the specific species of the virus involved have allowed the disease to outrun containment efforts this time.
Unpaid Frontline Workers Keep Treatment Centers Running Under Severe Hardship
While public health agencies work to scale up interventions, hundreds of frontline health workers — including burial teams, drivers, and infection control staff — have been working without pay since the outbreak was declared in mid-May. Wiza Bondele, a 29-year-old infection control worker at an Ebola treatment hospital in the eastern Ituri province, disinfects contaminated areas, checks visitors’ temperatures, and enforces handwashing protocols despite receiving no salary.
“Sometimes patients are bleeding or vomiting blood. We clean and disinfect those places,” Bondele told Apnews reporters while on duty. With risks like that, we deserve salaries.
Bondele returned to the Ebola response after serving as a veteran of Congo’s 2018 Ebola response, expecting to earn a promised monthly salary. Instead, he and colleagues faced significant delays. Congolese authorities previously blamed logistical issues for payment holdups.
Although workers registered their phone numbers for mobile money payments and signed attendance sheets, payouts remained inconsistent.
Joint High-Level Mission Assesses Operational Gaps in Bunia and Kinshasa
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) called for an urgent scale-up of the community-led Ebola response following a joint high-level mission to Uganda and the DRC on August 4 and 5. Led by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya, and WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Mohamed Janabi, the delegation assessed operational challenges in Bunia and met national leadership in Kinshasa.
The mission evaluated readiness at the Rwangole Ebola Treatment Centre and reviewed response data.
Contrasting Containment Outcomes Between Uganda and Congo
The international delegation’s visit began in Kampala, where officials engaged with national teams following Uganda’s declaration of the end of its outbreak on July 28. Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, with all listed contacts successfully completing follow-up. International health officials pointed to Uganda’s early detection, rapid contact tracing, and trusted community engagement as proof that containment remains possible.
In sharp contrast, the DRC faces a much larger epidemic driven by the Bundibugyo virus strain, which lacks approved vaccines or treatments. Ituri province alone accounts for nearly 90% of confirmed cases in the country, with Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu health zones experiencing the heaviest impacts.
What Lies Ahead for the Regional Response
Containment of the epidemic now hinges on shifting toward village-centered, community-led operations. Health authorities stress that residents must receive clear information from trusted local leaders, religious figures, and youth representatives to report symptoms early and reduce resistance to response activities.
While officials work to resolve mobile payment distribution backlogs and secure frontline welfare, neighboring countries must sustain laboratory readiness and cross-border surveillance to prevent further international spread while transmission persists inside Congolese provinces.
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