Key facts
- The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the country's deadliest, with 4,945 cases and 2,325 deaths.
- The World Health Organization believes the outbreak can be controlled within three months with sufficient resources.
- The WHO chief has warned the outbreak is far from being under control.
- Six of DRC’s 26 provinces have been affected, primarily along the north-eastern border.
- Clinical trials for two potential treatments for the Bundibugyo strain began last month.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the deadliest in the country's history, surpassing the 2018-20 outbreak with at least 2,325 deaths and 4,945 confirmed cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the epidemic is spreading at an 'exceptional pace' and is on track to exceed the 2014-16 West Africa outbreak in scale. Despite earlier optimism that the outbreak could be contained within three months with sufficient resources, the WHO chief has warned that it is 'far from being under control.' The current outbreak, the 17th in DRC history, has affected six provinces, primarily in the north-east, with Ituri province recording the majority of cases. The virus has claimed one life every 30 minutes, and response efforts have been hampered by attacks on healthcare facilities, misinformation, and poor infrastructure. Clinical trials for two potential treatments for the rare Bundibugyo strain have begun, and two vaccines are being tested.