Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo spreads fast as medics are hit

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading rapidly, with health workers among those most affected. Officials and the World Health Organization say the crisis is moving through eastern parts of the country and is placing severe strain on an already weakened health system. The outbreak was declared on 15 May, but health officials now say it has expanded quickly across multiple health zones.

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A senior World Health Organization official said 75 healthcare workers have contracted the virus since the outbreak was announced. Seventeen medics have died, while the overall death toll has risen to 232 and the number of infections has reached 896, according to Congolese authorities. Marie Roseline Belizaire, the WHO emergency director, said the outbreak remains serious and is evolving very fast.

The impact on medical staff is significant because the country already has one of the lowest ratios of health workers to population, with about 11 health workers for every 10,000 people, according to WHO data. Belizaire said the system is paying a very high price because there are not enough healthcare workers in the country. She also said some facilities still lack basic protective equipment such as gloves and masks, increasing the risk of further infections.

The outbreak is unfolding in a context of conflict, displacement and chronic underfunding, which has made response efforts more difficult. Health officials believe the rare Bundibugyo strain may have been spreading for months before the government formally announced the outbreak, leaving doctors and nurses exposed before they knew the virus was present. Aid cuts and poor sanitation are also deepening fears that the disease is spreading in displacement camps, where overcrowding and resistance to testing could allow infections to go undetected.

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The wider regional response is already under way. Belizaire said China and Uganda are sending medical teams to support the response, while the World Health Organization is providing psychological support to medics who fear treating patients after seeing colleagues fall ill. African Union member states have also pledged nearly $1bn to respond to the emergency in eastern DR Congo and neighbouring Uganda, where 19 cases and two deaths have been confirmed.

What remains unclear is how far the outbreak has already spread in camps and other hard-to-reach areas, and whether current measures will be enough to slow transmission. Health officials have warned that the outbreak has not yet reached its peak. The coming days are likely to focus on case detection, protection for frontline staff and the ability of local and international responders to reach affected communities quickly.

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