Ebola is spreading rapidly in parts of east Africa, with at least 240 suspected deaths since the outbreak began in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, earlier this month. The virus, which kills around half of those it infects, has already spread to other regions in eastern DRC and the Ugandan capital Kampala.
Public health officials are struggling to contain the outbreak in one of the toughest environments. Ituri province is a mining hub where thousands work in close proximity daily, and a conflict zone with ongoing fighting between rebel groups. Medical facilities are modest, and waves of displaced people are being forced into overcrowded camps, making transmission harder to control.
This is the first major Ebola outbreak since the US, UK and other western countries made brutal cuts to humanitarian aid, beginning with Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s gutting of USAID. Experts warn that the rapid response infrastructure from previous outbreaks has been stripped back, hampering efforts to save lives.
Dr Papys Lame, Ebola outbreak response coordinator in Ituri for the NGO Alima, said the virus was likely passing through the community for some time before the outbreak was formally declared on 15 May. Symptoms are similar to common illnesses like malaria and typhoid, and lack of lab facilities has made monitoring difficult. Many more cases are suspected than official WHO figures show.
At least five doctors and nurses have died after treating patients at Bunia Evangelical medical centre, including Dr Vladimir Maduali, 30, who died on Sunday, and Dr Tibenderana Katho Blaise, who died two days later. Other colleagues are believed to have contracted the virus.
