Published on: 2026-06-23
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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June 23, 2026 Healthcare
The Ebola outbreak in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading at an unprecedented rapid pace and seriously disrupting the daily lives of millions of people. This was stated by representatives of the UN humanitarian agencies on Tuesday.
The Director of the World Health Organization’s Department for Emergency Response, Abdirahman Musaamad, who recently returned from the DRC, reported that as of Monday, 1048 cases of Ebola had been confirmed in the country, 267 of which resulted in death.
“This is the largest number of confirmed cases in the first month of the Ebola outbreak in the history of Africa,” he emphasized.
The current outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus and declared on May 15 is developing significantly faster than previous epidemics. According to Ma Amud, the mark of 250 deaths was reached in just 37 days. For comparison, during the outbreak in West Africa in 2014–2016, it took 78 days to reach this number, and during the 2018–2019 epidemic – 130 days.
Everyday life has become dangerous
Deputy Director of Operations of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ugochi Daniels noted that local residents found themselves in an extremely difficult situation.
“Everyday life has become associated with risk. Queueing for products or trying to make a living can pose a danger,” she said.
According to Daniels, the outbreak was beyond the scope of a purely medical problem.
“It touches on all aspects of everyday life, bringing uncertainty and fear,” emphasized the IOM representative.
Monitoring on the border
A particular difficulty is that the infection sites are located in areas of active cross-border population movement. Therefore, the most important task remains the monitoring of both official and unofficial border crossing routes, especially in regions affected by conflicts and instability.
IOM staff and partner organizations have already conducted more than a million health checks of travelers at border crossing points and main routes of movement.
For the coordination of cross-border measures and epidemiological surveillance in 11 countries over the next six months, the agency needs 55.8 million dollars, of which only about 20 million dollars have been received.
“To get ahead of the outbreak spread, collective commitment to fully fund these efforts is required,” emphasized Daniels.
Expansion of treatment and diagnostics
In the Ministry of Defense note that the scale of response measures to the rapidly spreading disease is also growing at a high pace. Over the past two weeks, the number of places for treating patients has increased from several tens to more than 500 beds in 19 medical zones.
Significantly expanded diagnostic capabilities. While at the beginning of the outbreak laboratories in Kinshasa could conduct about 30 tests per day, now a network of eight laboratories in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provides for more than 2,000 tests daily.
Mistrust and disinformation
Another important element in the fight against Ebola remains the burial of the deceased in safe and dignified conditions.
The representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Paolo Cravero, reported that the organization delivers special materials for vaccinations to the affected areas, despite the inaccessibility of many settlements and the complex security situation.
However, according to him, one of the main problems remains the lack of trust from the population.
“As during any crisis or outbreak of a disease such as Ebola, tension rises,” noted Cravero.
He reported that ICRC volunteers have already encountered manifestations of violence at the places of conducting hostilities.
“Rumors and misinformation create additional difficulties,” acknowledged a representative of the International Federation, emphasizing that the organization is actively working with local communities to overcome distrust and strengthen cooperation in the fight against the spread of disease.
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