DRC Ebola Outbreak Passes 5,500 Cases, Mortality Near 48% as Response Scales Up

In just over three months since the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak was declared, the World Health Organization recorded an average of nearly 90 confirmed infections each day, surpassing the pace of the 2018‑2020 DRC epidemic. The reported tally was 5,515 cases and at least 2,642 deaths, giving a case‑fatality ratio close to 48 percent. Six provinces are now reporting transmission, but Ituri province remains the hotspot, accounting for around 85 percent of infections and about 79 percent of the deaths. The high lethality is worsened by the fact that around 60 percent of the weekly deaths in recent weeks have occurred outside treatment centres.

Over the past hundred days the operational capacity has grown markedly. WHO has sent more than 260 specialists and moved over 330 tonnes of medical and logistical supplies, while earmarking more than $5.6 million for emergency activities. Laboratory networks expanded from a single site to 19 facilities able to process more than 3,000 samples each day, and treatment capacity rose from fewer than ten beds to over 1,300. Community outreach now touches more than 2.5 million individuals, and contact‑tracing coverage increased from nine percent early on to 84 percent by mid‑August. Nevertheless, at least 50 health workers have died after 155 infections, underscoring ongoing protection challenges.

The epidemic is unfolding against a broader humanitarian emergency marked by food insecurity and limited safe‑water access. UN agencies stress that nutrition and water assistance must accompany the health response to curb the spread. Although South Sudan has not reported any cases, population movements across the border keep the risk of export alive. Prevention measures include surveillance at points of entry, training for health personnel, delivery of medical kits and radio campaigns to raise awareness. Recent abductions of aid workers transporting Ebola supplies highlight the security threats facing both health and humanitarian teams in the region.