The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen above 8,000 as health authorities and international agencies face growing difficulties containing the disease.
Data from DR Congo’s health ministry showed 8,067 confirmed cases and 3,901 deaths as of September 26. The cases were recorded across 63 health zones in seven of the country’s 26 provinces, giving the outbreak a reported fatality rate of more than 48%.
DR Congo announced the outbreak on May 15. It was caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no known treatment or vaccine, according to the report. Authorities have struggled to contain the spread as the outbreak reaches more areas.
The World Health Organisation said the persistently high crude case fatality ratio, together with the continued number of deaths occurring in communities, showed the seriousness of the disease and the challenges facing efforts to detect cases promptly and provide early, adequate care.
“The continuously high crude case fatality ratio, and especially the continuously high rate of deaths occurring in communities, highlights the seriousness of the disease and the persistent challenges in timely case detection and access to early and adequate patient care,” the WHO said in its latest report.
The WHO also said last week that DR Congo was running out of health workers needed to contain the disease. Health workers have reported delayed or missing payments, leading to several strikes despite the sensitivity of the outbreak and the need for continued response operations.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 health workers have died since the outbreak was announced. Their deaths, together with staffing shortages and strikes, have added to the strain on containment efforts.
Some parts of the country have reported improvement. Confirmed cases have fallen in areas including Ituri province and Haut-Uele. However, officials have also said that the disease is spreading in other areas and expanding its geographical reach.
The outbreak has already exceeded the pace of the two-year West Africa regional Ebola outbreak in terms of spread over the same period, according to Africa CDC data. By week 19, the 2014–2016 regional outbreak had recorded 3,781 cases, while the current outbreak had recorded 7,840.
The WHO said the current outbreak was on track to surpass the regional outbreak, which killed 11,000 people.
Containment has been hampered by several overlapping challenges, including insecurity, displacement, health workers’ strikes and intense population movements. These conditions have made it more difficult to identify cases quickly, reach affected communities and ensure access to care.
The latest figures indicate that, while some locations are showing signs of progress, the broader response remains under pressure. The continued emergence of cases in new areas, the high number of deaths and shortages among health workers are complicating efforts to bring the outbreak under control.
