The Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded more than 8,000 confirmed Ebola cases for the first time during the current outbreak, driven by the Bundibugyo virus. Health authorities report that transmission remains high across multiple provinces despite localized reductions.
The outbreak has reached 8,067 confirmed cases and 3,901 deaths, according to figures released by Congolese authorities and the World Health Organization. This total yields a case fatality rate exceeding 48 percent across 63 affected health zones in seven of the country’s 26 provinces.
Treatment Expansion Across Affected Provinces
To manage the rising caseload, response partners have expanded treatment capacity from a handful of beds at the start of the epidemic to more than 1,600 beds across 50 treatment centers. Plans are currently underway to scale total capacity beyond 2,000 beds.
Dr. Janet Diaz of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme noted after visiting the epicenter in Bunia that early access to care remains critical for survival. However, many patients continue to die at home or within their communities because they cannot reach treatment facilities in time.
Logistical hurdles, including delays in seeking care and challenges with patient referral systems, continue to complicate medical interventions. To address workforce shortages, the WHO and its partners have trained nearly 400 health workers and launched a dedicated training hub in Bunia.
Critical Oxygen Access Deficits in Treatment Centers
Oxygen delivery remains a major bottleneck in severe cases, as the life-saving medicine is frequently unavailable or unreliable in emergency settings. Dr. Diaz emphasized that scaling up oxygen access requires functional health systems, stable infrastructure, and trained personnel rather than equipment alone.
While no approved vaccine currently exists specifically for the Bundibugyo virus, prevention efforts are shifting toward clinical research. The WHO announced the allocation of 20,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine—which proved effective against the Zaire virus strain—to support a research vaccination program in Ituri province.
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