The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is spreading faster than response efforts, even as Uganda began the 42-day countdown to officially declaring its outbreak over.
Uganda discharged its last confirmed Ebola patient on Thursday, after testing negative twice for the virus, officially triggering the 42-day countdown required before the outbreak can be declared over.
Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths since declaring the outbreak in May. Of these, 15 infections were linked to imported cases from the DRC, while five resulted from local transmission.
Speaking in Geneva on Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the outbreak in the DRC had so far recorded 2,273 cases and 796 deaths, reaching more than 2,000 confirmed infections in just two months. By comparison, the country’s 2018-2019 Ebola outbreak took more than 10 months to reach the same number of confirmed cases.
The rapid rise in infections has been driven largely by intense transmission in Ituri Province, where more than 80 per cent of newly confirmed cases are emerging outside known contact lists. This suggests that many chains of transmission remain undetected, making containment increasingly difficult.
WHO is also concerned that nearly two-thirds of Ebola-related deaths are occurring within communities, with many patients dying before they can access treatment at health facilities. Although response efforts have expanded considerably, WHO says they are still struggling to keep pace with the outbreak.
According to WHO, treatment capacity has grown to more than 800 beds, laboratory services have increased from one facility to 16, and contact tracing now reaches nearly 80 per cent of identified contacts. More than 21,000 community health workers are also being trained to strengthen surveillance and community engagement, while safe and dignified burial practices have improved significantly.
Security challenges continue to undermine these gains. An Ebola treatment centre in Bunia was attacked on Wednesday, highlighting the impact of ongoing armed conflict on humanitarian operations and access to affected communities.
Despite the absence of fully approved vaccines and treatments for the current outbreak, WHO says 377 patients have recovered, demonstrating that early diagnosis and timely medical care can significantly improve survival. WHO has appealed for greater political commitment and international financial support, warning that current resources are insufficient to contain the epidemic.
The organisation’s joint continental Ebola preparedness and response plan with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) still faces a funding shortfall of more than USD 400 million. WHO says closing this gap is essential not only to protect affected countries but also to prevent wider regional and global health threats.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has echoed the call, warning that it has secured only 25 per cent of the funding needed for its Ebola response.
During a visit to Ituri Province this week, UNICEF Regional Director Gilles Fagninou said the outbreak remains controllable, but only if governments, communities and humanitarian partners receive the resources needed to respond rapidly and at scale. He stressed that the challenge is no longer a lack of technical solutions, but insufficient funding to deploy them effectively before the epidemic spreads further.
WHO Representative in Uganda, Dr Kasonde Mwinga, cautioned that Uganda remains vulnerable because of continued transmission across the border in eastern DRC-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
