The key facts

  • 11,042 cases and 5,387 deaths — the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the history of the DR Congo
  • 1,000 cases in 40 days versus 235 days in 2018
  • The WHO has backed trials of two vaccine candidates against the Bundibugyo virus

Scale of the Outbreak

The Ebola fever outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached 11,042 cases and 5,387 deaths, meaning nearly half of all infections have ended fatally. According to the government, this is the deadliest outbreak in the country's history. It was officially declared in May and is the 17th on record, as well as the fastest-growing: response measures were activated, and within just 40 days the number of confirmed cases exceeded 1,000. For comparison, the 2018 outbreak crossed that threshold in roughly 235 days.

What Is Hindering the Fight Against the Epidemic

The Congolese Ministry of Health cites several reasons why the outbreak is difficult to contain: the ongoing armed conflict, a crisis in the healthcare system, poor roads, and violence from residents fueled by distrust and disinformation. The situation is further complicated by unpaid wages and strikes by healthcare workers: key facilities in several regions are paralyzed, and work has halted at numerous screening points along transport routes, in river ports, at municipal borders, and at airports. A surge in violence by armed groups in the two main hotspots — the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu — has alarmed health authorities, who are calling for an end to hostilities so that medical workers can reach the sick without obstruction. Public distrust manifests itself in the spread of harmful rumors, a high rate of refusal of examinations, resistance to safe burials, and declining attendance at medical facilities; in a number of cases it escalates into violence against medical personnel and facilities, as a result of which several response points have been closed across the country, including in Ituri — the epicenter of the outbreak.

No Vaccine Yet, but Trials Will Begin

The Bundibugyo virus responsible for this outbreak has no approved vaccine or treatment, although several trials are underway. Last week the WHO backed two candidates: a development by the University of Oxford together with the Serum Institute of India and a development by Moderna. The trial will be conducted by the National Institute for Biomedical Research of the DR Congo with the support of international partners, including the WHO. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized at a press conference on November 4 that 'vaccines are powerful tools, but they do not replace proven measures that can save lives right now,' citing early care, contact tracing, isolation, safe and dignified burials, and trust-building work with communities. Since 1976, when the disease was first identified, dozens of outbreaks have been recorded; the largest and deadliest occurred in West Africa in 2014–2016, with 28,000 infections and more than 11,000 deaths.