The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is rapidly worsening. According to the latest figures released Saturday by the Congolese Ministry of Health, 204 deaths have been recorded out of 867 suspected cases, compared to 177 deaths reported the previous day by the World Health Organization (WHO). This sharp increase in the death toll comes as health authorities warn of a high risk of regional spread.
Meeting in Kampala, officials from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) placed ten countries under surveillance: Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia. Neighboring Uganda, already affected, confirmed five cases, including one death.
Declared on May 15, this new outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a rare variant for which there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment. The WHO has classified the risk level as "very high" in the DRC and "high" for Central Africa as a whole, while maintaining a global risk level of low.
The epidemic began in the eastern province of Ituri before spreading to North Kivu and South Kivu, regions marked by significant population displacements and security instability linked to armed groups, notably the M23. "Mobility and insecurity facilitate the spread of the epidemic," warned the director of Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya.
In the affected areas, authorities are implementing a range of restrictive measures: suspending flights to Bunia, limiting public gatherings, prohibiting wakes, and restricting road travel to essential journeys only. Rwanda has strengthened its border controls and is imposing a quarantine on travelers returning from the DRC.
On the ground, health operations remain complicated by the isolation of contaminated areas and the mistrust of a segment of the population. Several medical facilities have been targeted in recent days, including isolation tents set on fire in hospitals in the east of the country.
In Bunia, concern is growing among residents. "I've never seen someone with Ebola recover," says Gratien Scojo, a taxi driver, urging the population to "protect themselves." Mumbere Elisha, a bus driver, shares this caution, deliberately limiting the number of passengers to avoid overcrowding.
This 17th Ebola epidemic recorded in the DRC comes in an already fragile humanitarian context.
