The World Health Organization reported on Tuesday that a staggering 80% of new Ebola cases in eastern Congo are linked to unidentified transmission chains. This indicates that the outbreak is escalating more quickly than health officials can manage, even with a growing response effort.
Congo has been facing an outbreak of a rare Ebola strain since May, and alarmingly, there is currently no approved treatment or vaccine available. According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control, this is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on the continent.
“It’s perhaps the most unsettling observation that many recent fatalities involved individuals who died in their communities without ever receiving medical care,” stated Chikwe Ihekweazu after returning from Bunia, a city heavily impacted by the outbreak. He added, “As of today, 80% of new cases are coming from sources outside our tracking lists, indicating unknown transmission routes.”
Deaths occurring outside health facilities make it impossible to isolate patients, administer treatment, or trace potential contacts swiftly, significantly escalating the risk of spreading the virus.
Ihekweazu expressed that the outbreak is “outpacing the response efforts.” As of Monday, authorities reported that at least 1,926 individuals have contracted the virus, with 702 fatalities across three provinces in Congo. There have also been confirmed cases in nearby Uganda.
During a press conference in Geneva, Ihekweazu described his visit to Bunia as both “encouraging on many levels” yet “deeply concerning.” The treatment capacity in Bunia has expanded to nearly 800 beds and laboratory capabilities have increased from one to 14 labs—a development the emergency chief praised. Still, he conceded that despite these efforts, “we have not caught up in the race.”
Mismatches in response are due to a funding shortfall, violence against healthcare facilities, ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, and significant distrust within the local populations.
Recently, healthcare workers at an Ebola treatment center in northeast Congo initiated a strike due to unpaid salaries and bonuses, although they resumed work the next day on the condition that the government pays them promptly. They remarked, “Even one day of striking has already led to harm. Patients couldn’t access necessary treatment.” They further emphasized that the government would bear complete responsibility for any loss of life should the facility close due to their ultimatum.
The Congolese government announced a new Ebola outbreak on May 15, which had been spreading for weeks prior to formal acknowledgment by health officials. Hope arrived last week, as clinical trials for potential treatments commenced after a much-anticipated study began. On July 11, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention disclosed that a U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in Congo tested positive for the Ebola virus, though no additional details were shared.
