The Democratic Republic of the Congo faces the most serious health crisis in its recent history against the clock. The Ebola outbreak declared on May 15 has reached 100 days with more than 2,500 deaths and a grim outlook: half of the victims have been recorded in just the last three weeks, the spread is advancing at an exponential rate according to the UN, and the chronic violence in the northeast of the country, the epicenter of the epidemic, places healthcare personnel in a critical situation.
The main focus is located in the province of Ituri, where the Allied Democratic Forces operate, one of the deadliest armed groups on the continent and a local branch of the Islamic State. Their offensives, which cause dozens of deaths each week, have led to waves of displaced people that severely hinder contact tracing and disease control.
Some of these fleeing individuals end up in the neighboring Kivu region, the scene of another prolonged conflict between the Congolese Army and the militias of the March 23 Movement (M23). This group controls the capitals of the two provinces and has launched its own strategy against the outbreak, in partial coordination with international medical agencies but without dialogue with the central government.
The widespread insecurity in the six affected provinces directly impacts medical teams, who are subject to targeted assaults "mainly in mining communities and among groups of young men," according to the UN. It is estimated that there have been about 260 attacks, with at least eight healthcare workers killed, in addition to another 43 health workers who have died from the virus itself.
In light of the seriousness of the situation, the country received its first shipment of the Ervebo vaccine this Saturday, whose effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the outbreak is uncertain and for which, in reality, there is no specific vaccine.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, has detailed that the 70,000 doses that will arrive in the DRC in the coming days will be used in additional trial programs. The clinical studies cited by the WHO indicate that "serious side effects of the vaccine are very rare" and it is hoped that they will provide at least some protection against infections.
AN IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENT IN THE RESPONSE
"This epidemic continues to spread at a faster rate than the response can control," warned Dr. Javid Abdelmoneim, international president of MSF. "Treatment centers remain essential to save lives, but this response needs more than additional beds," he added.
"What is needed is better detection, safe isolation for sick individuals and their contacts, and support for healthcare personnel. Fundamentally, the response must be designed with the communities, not on the margins of them," he added.
Since the official start of the outbreak, more than 60% of Ebola deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have occurred outside treatment centers, often at home or within communities, without medical care. This allows the virus to continue circulating before cases are identified.
There is particular concern about the accelerated increase in infections outside the epicenter of Ituri and the situation in North Kivu, where very high mortality rates are recorded and there is deep distrust towards the health response.
Although for now the expansion has been contained within the DRC after an attempted leap to Uganda, the risk of the outbreak crossing borders remains very present. Throughout 2025, around 236,000 Congolese sought refuge in neighboring countries, increasing fears of an internationalization of the epidemic.
"We must be frank: the epidemic is far from being under control," said Tedros during the second meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee. "Borders may delay the spread, but they do not prevent it," added the director-general of WHO, who considers it essential to strengthen surveillance and regional coordination to quickly detect new cases and cut possible chains of transmission before they become established.