Ebola continues to rage unchecked in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with no signs of slowing down. On August 5, the Deputy Medical Director of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) delivered this grim assessment during the World Health Organization’s (WHO) official visit to the country’s eastern region. More than two and a half months after the outbreak was declared on May 15, this epidemic has become the second deadliest on record, spreading at an unprecedented pace. According to the latest government and WHO data, the virus has claimed 1,850 lives out of nearly 4,000 confirmed cases, with a fatality rate exceeding 40%.
The Bundibugyo strain—responsible for this outbreak—has already killed over five times more people than in previous outbreaks of the same variant within a comparable timeframe, as reported by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). During the last major DRC epidemic, which lasted from 2018 to 2020, it took more than ten months to reach a similar death toll. “I cannot say we have full control of this epidemic today,” acknowledged Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya at the end of July.
Violence and instability cripple containment efforts
The situation in eastern DRC has created an environment where medical coordination and case detection are nearly impossible. The epicenter of the outbreak, Ituri Province, faces relentless terrorist attacks by Uganda-based ADF militants, while numerous armed groups vie for control over land, minerals, and local influence. Meanwhile, North Kivu—a neighboring province—remains partially under the sway of the M23, a Rwanda-backed armed group that seized large swaths of territory from Congolese forces over a year ago.
This prolonged conflict has displaced millions, pushing people into neighboring Uganda and Burundi or deeper into the DRC. The resulting humanitarian crisis has left populations in dire conditions, with poor sanitation and limited access to healthcare. Compounding the problem, early surveillance and testing capabilities were critically underfunded, delaying the identification and containment of cases.
Contact tracing efforts are also severely lacking. In Bunia, the outbreak’s epicenter, 90% of admitted patients were not part of tracked contacts. Across Ituri Province, only 59% of contacts were traced. Africa CDC estimates that for every confirmed urban case, around 40 contacts should be monitored, suggesting a need to track roughly 134,400 individuals. Current efforts cover just 17,500—merely 13% of the target. Additionally, about one-fifth of recorded cases receive no regular follow-up due to staff shortages or ongoing violence. Another alarming trend: 60% of fatalities occurred in communities rather than healthcare facilities.
Vaccines and treatments remain in development
Despite these challenges, progress is being made to curb the epidemic. Oxford University has launched a clinical trial for a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain, with the first volunteer receiving a dose this month. The trial aims to enroll 50 adults to assess safety. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is also funding the development of another vaccine by Singapore’s Hilleman Laboratories, with plans to rapidly produce and test doses in the DRC.
In the absence of an approved vaccine for this virulent strain, Africa CDC announced on August 6 that it would deploy the existing Ebola Zaïre vaccine to affected populations. While the Bundibugyo variant differs, vaccinated individuals have shown only mild symptoms and no fatalities, according to CDC data. Over 40 patients are also participating in a trial evaluating a combination of treatments.
Jean Kaseya has called for the expanded use of remdesivir—an antiviral—citing its success in neighboring Uganda, where authorities swiftly contained an outbreak linked to the DRC. “Uganda’s fatality rate of 10% is largely due to their use of remdesivir for all patients and contacts,” Kaseya stated. International health authorities warn that this epidemic could surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak—the deadliest on record—with over 11,000 deaths.
International aid arrives too late to make an impact
Another critical factor fueling the outbreak’s spread has been the delayed and insufficient international response. Early in 2025, USAID—America’s primary development agency—suspended decades of health and medical aid to the DRC, leaving the country vulnerable. It wasn’t until August 5 that the U.S. State Department announced a $242 million allocation, bringing total American aid for Ebola response to $512 million. This funding, arriving three months into the outbreak, finally allows the WHO and CDC to secure the $518 million needed for their six-month response plan.
However, critics argue this amount falls far short of past U.S. humanitarian and health investments. The U.S. remains the largest contributor to the Ebola response, far outpacing the European Union.
