The World Health Organization warned on Wednesday that the Democratic Republic of the Congo faces severe bed and healthcare worker shortages as its fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record continues to spread across seven provinces, with 7,773 confirmed cases straining an under-resourced medical response.
The outbreak is spreading across seven provinces in Africa’s second-largest country by area, with cumulative government figures showing 7,773 confirmed cases and 3,759 deaths. While public health authorities report encouraging downward trends in specific regions, transmission remains active and uncontained across a wide geographic expanse.
Uneven Transmission Patterns Across Provinces
Response metrics released by the World Health Organization illustrate a stark regional divergence. Between August 31 and September 20, cases fell 26% in Ituri province, which served as the epicenter of the current outbreak, and dropped 15% in Haut-Uele.
At the same time, eastern North Kivu province saw a 73% surge in infections over a three-week window. Officials caution that these mixed trajectories demonstrate that the virus remains active over a broad territory.
“While cases and deaths are declining in some provinces, they continue to rise in others. The outbreak is still not under control and remains spread across a wide geographic area.”
Marie Roseline Belizaire, WHO regional emergency director for Africa, via Sun Sentinel
Simultaneously, a distinct strain has surfaced elsewhere in the country. By mid-May 2026, the World Health Organization reported 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri Province linked specifically to the Bundibugyo virus, with two confirmed travel-associated cases crossing into neighboring Uganda. Unlike the Zaire ebolavirus, the Bundibugyo strain currently lacks licensed vaccines or targeted medical treatments.
Severe Deficits in Treatment Beds and Staff
Logistical strain threatens to overwhelm the clinical response. Following a mission to the country, WHO logistics expert Luca Fontana reported that Africa’s second-largest country by area operates 59 treatment centers containing 1,400 beds, while an additional 1,600 beds are urgently required.
The workforce deficit is equally acute. WHO representatives note that staffing must expand from 4,000 to 9,000 healthcare personnel. According to WHO representative in Congo Anne Ancia, one Ebola treatment center requires about 300 health professionals, including anesthetists, hygienists, nurses, and general practitioners.
Financial constraints compound these shortages. Maintaining a 50-bed isolation facility costs approximately $500,000, while single-use protective clothing for frontline carers costs $25 per shift. Furthermore, access to care was disrupted previously when frontline workers in Ituri launched a strike over unpaid wages. Health Minister Roger Kamba explained in July that authorities had to verify payroll lists after discovering unauthorized names added to government rosters, though frontline staff reported receiving only partial arrears or nothing at all.
High Pediatric Mortality and Clinical Vulnerabilities
Young children face disproportionate risks in the ongoing epidemic. According to WHO data, children under the age of five register the highest case fatality rate at over 60%, compared with approximately 40% among adult patients.
Clinical detection in this age bracket remains exceptionally difficult. WHO Ebola incident manager Catherine Smallwood noted that young children cannot necessarily explain their symptoms, and disease presentation can be ambiguous. Public health teams emphasize that closing surveillance gaps and detecting pediatric infections earlier remain essential to interrupting transmission chains before patients reach advanced stages of the disease.