Ebola surge in DRC strains treatment beds and food aid as the virus reaches new provinces

The outbreak, declared in mid‑May, has produced 9,765 confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, of which 4,727 people have died. The virus, originally detected in the volatile eastern region, has now reached eight provinces, with Nord‑Ubangi in the northwest reported as the most recent area of spread. Health authorities are monitoring roughly 30,000 contacts each day for a three‑week period, a massive undertaking that underscores the speed of transmission. While a smaller Ugandan flare‑up ended in August, additional cases have been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria and France, highlighting the regional risk.

Treatment capacity has been expanding but remains below the World Health Organization’s target of 3,000 beds; more than 2,000 beds are currently operational across affected areas. So far, 2,600 patients have survived Ebola, a sign of improving clinical care. Nevertheless, WHO officials note that many patients still visit two to five different health facilities before being referred to an Ebola treatment centre, a delay that fuels community deaths. The outbreak’s geography adds further strain: some villages are reachable only after several days by boat or motorcycle, with no road or air access, complicating rapid response and safe patient transport.

The World Food Programme is complementing medical efforts by building treatment centres and delivering food assistance to families whose livelihoods have been shattered. In Kinshasa, WFP Representative David Stevenson highlighted the case of Francine Birungi Amoti, a mother who lost a child to Ebola and now cares for six children and a baby, relying on food aid because returning to her fields would expose her to violence. In Kenya, more than 100 contacts were identified after the country’s first Ebola death, and those individuals are completing a 21‑day quarantine before rejoining their families. WHO’s Kenya representative, Dr Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, stressed that released contacts must not be stigmatized and that vigilance across borders remains.