On August 27, the Red Cross warned that the Ebola outbreak in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has not yet peaked and could last another year. The death toll from the disease has reached 192.
Bruno Michon, operational manager of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said via video from eastern DRC: "I think the peak is not behind us; it lies ahead. We fear it may take a year to bring this disease to an end."
Michon added that it is "very difficult" to know the extent of the outbreak's spread, stressing that building trust with communities is crucial and necessary to save lives. Red Cross and Red Crescent teams have faced abuse, threats, and attacks in recent days while supporting communities and conducting safe burials.
The Ebola outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, is spreading rapidly across three provinces in the DRC. According to government data, the virus is transmitted through bodily fluids, even after an infected person has died.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said testing remains "one of the weakest links" in the outbreak response. Kate White, MSF's emergency medical coordinator, said on August 26: "No one knows the true scale or exactly where the disease is spreading in the DRC."
A senior health official in the DRC said information from three different sources—laboratories, hospitals, treatment centers, and epidemiological surveillance teams—is very difficult to compile, leading to errors and distortions in both directions. The official suggested the virus may have begun circulating as early as February this year.
