The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading faster than health authorities can contain it and risks becoming the deadliest epidemic ever recorded, according to a warning from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Speaking on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that at the current rate, the outbreak could exceed the West African Ebola epidemic of 2014-2016, which claimed more than 11,000 lives and spurred major vaccine development efforts.
In eastern DRC, the outbreak has killed more than 2,000 people out of over 4,300 confirmed cases, making it the fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic ever recorded. The outbreak was officially declared on May 15, but genetic sequencing later showed the virus had actually been circulating since February.
The current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or treatment has yet been approved.
Containment efforts face significant hurdles due to the remoteness of the area and ongoing conflict near the DRC's borders with South Sudan, Uganda, and Rwanda. Many infections and deaths have occurred in communities that medical teams find difficult to access. Weak infrastructure, under-resourced clinics, widespread misinformation, and strikes by health workers over delayed pay have further slowed the response.
Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, WHO's operational director for health emergencies, said the organization's medium-term forecast suggests the outbreak could peak within the next six months. In a more severe scenario, it could last between 9 and 12 months.
The 2014-2016 West African Ebola outbreak remains the deadliest on record, with more than 11,000 deaths among roughly 28,000 cases, prompting major international efforts to develop vaccines. WHO officials believe the current outbreak could top that figure if access to affected communities is not improved soon.
