GENEVA / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization has urged a significant escalation in the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, health teams continue to struggle with identifying every chain of transmission. As of Sept. 1, Congo’s government reports show 6,250 confirmed cases and 3,039 fatalities. The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak now impacts 60 health zones across six provinces.
This outbreak has become Congo’s most extensive and deadly Ebola event to date and ranks as the second-largest globally, following the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa. Ituri remains at the epicenter of the crisis, responsible for approximately 85% of cases and 88% of deaths. Tedros highlighted that many fatalities involve individuals not listed as known contacts, indicating health teams are still missing certain transmission chains.
Obstacles such as community deaths and unsafe burials continue to hinder efforts to control the outbreak. According to Africa CDC, over 60% of deaths recorded during the most recent seven-day period occurred in communities. Delays in detecting infections and getting patients into treatment centers have also been reported by health officials. The latest government data from Congo indicates 1,439 recoveries and a case fatality rate of 48.6%, underscoring the severe impact of the Bundibugyo strain.
Active Transmission Continues in Eastern Congo
Despite signs of a decline in recent weeks, transmission remains ongoing in 51 health zones. Authorities have documented that four zones have not reported new cases for over 42 days, effectively interrupting transmission. An additional five zones have experienced no new cases for between 21 and 42 days. However, public health officials warn that these declines are too recent to confirm the outbreak is under control on a national scale.
The World Health Organization has intensified its testing, treatment, and field support efforts in the affected regions. Over 330 tonnes of emergency supplies have been shipped, and more than 300 experts have been deployed. Laboratory capacity has increased from a single national reference laboratory to a network of 24 laboratories located closer to the affected communities. Daily testing capacity now reaches roughly 3,000 tests, while treatment and isolation facilities have expanded to over 1,300 beds across 49 sites.
Response Efforts Grow as Outbreak Continues
This outbreak involves the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which currently has no approved specific treatment or vaccine. Researchers are conducting therapeutic trials, while vaccine candidates targeting the Bundibugyo virus are undergoing safety assessments. Authorities continue efforts in surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, clinical care, and safe burial practices. Community engagement remains vital, as delayed detection and incomplete contact follow-up have hampered efforts to identify infected individuals before further transmission occurs.
Congo declared the outbreak in Ituri province on May 15 after authorities confirmed infections linked to the Bundibugyo virus. Since then, the outbreak has spread across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé provinces. Tedros emphasized that the response must expand until health teams can identify and break every chain of transmission. Continued focus remains on rapid detection, contact follow-up, safe burials, laboratory diagnosis, and access to treatment throughout affected communities.
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