Additional Coverage:
Ebola Outbreak in Eastern Congo Expands Rapidly Despite Efforts
KINSHASA, Congo – The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, currently the fastest-growing on record, is intensifying and spreading beyond its initial epicenter, according to Africa’s leading health authorities.
While recent weeks have seen a decline in new cases and fatalities in Ituri province-the outbreak’s original hotspot-neighboring regions North Kivu and Haut-Uele are experiencing sharp increases. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) highlighted these trends during their weekly briefing.
Government data released Thursday reports a total of 6,843 Ebola cases with 3,310 deaths. Ituri remains the most affected, accounting for over 5,400 cases, whereas North Kivu has recorded more than 1,000 cases since the outbreak began in May.
The outbreak is unfolding amidst significant challenges, including ongoing insecurity, population displacement, a strike among health workers, and frequent movement of people. These factors have heightened concerns, particularly in displacement camps where living conditions are already precarious.
The World Health Organization has emphasized that the outbreak remains uncontrolled and may surpass the devastating 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, which claimed over 11,000 lives across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
In North Kivu, the number of new cases more than doubled in the latest three weeks, rising from 165 to 381, according to Yap Boum, head of emergency preparedness and response at Africa CDC. The virus has recently spread to two additional health zones in the province, complicating containment efforts amid ongoing clashes between government forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels who control the provincial capital, Goma.
In response, Congo initiated vaccination campaigns last month targeting frontline health workers using the Ervebo vaccine, which had proven effective against prior outbreaks caused by the Zaire strain of Ebola.
Additionally, clinical trials are underway in eastern provinces-Tshopo, Haut-Uele, and Bas-Uele-to evaluate vaccines against the Bundibugyo virus, a different Ebola strain. Placide Mbala Kingebeni, director of research and clinical trials at Africa CDC, noted that these vaccination efforts are focused on newly affected areas to curb further transmission, with plans to begin immunizations in Ituri next week.
One significant hurdle remains the limited vaccine supply; Congo has received only 70,000 doses to date, constraining the scale of vaccination campaigns.
As the outbreak continues to evolve under difficult conditions, health authorities remain vigilant in their efforts to contain the virus and prevent a broader regional crisis.