An Ebola outbreak centred in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has grown to more than 780 confirmed cases and at least 181 deaths, one month after it was officially declared, with health officials warning the epidemic could surpass the largest on record if it is not brought under control soon. The outbreak, which was jointly announced by the DRC and neighbouring Uganda on 15 May, is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus — a rare strain for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists. Cases are concentrated in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, with Ituri's capital, Bunia, serving as the primary epicentre. Uganda has recorded 19 confirmed cases and two deaths.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, and the head of Africa's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned this week that, without urgent action, the epidemic could eclipse the devastating 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people. Modelling by the US CDC supports that projection. A particular challenge is contact tracing: in an area marked by urban density, active mining and trade, cross-border movement and ongoing insecurity, health authorities acknowledge they cannot reach all those who have been exposed. The virus is also believed to have been circulating undetected for several weeks before the official declaration. In a separate and alarming development, armed men stormed a hospital in Butembo, in North Kivu, and removed a six-year-old Ebola patient and her mother. Health officials have appealed for the child and her mother to return to care, warning they risk worsening their condition and infecting others.
On the ground in Bunia, daily life has been reshaped by fear and economic hardship. A motorcycle taxi driver says passengers now refuse to share rides, slashing his income. A secondhand clothes trader closed her stall entirely. An airline agent reports empty cash registers as flights are restricted. Restaurant owners describe the trauma of witnessing deaths in public spaces. Protective habits — hand-washing stations, disinfectant gels, contactless thermometers — are becoming routine, yet residents and workers report that official awareness campaigns have rarely reached them directly. At the same time, dangerous disinformation persists: some residents believe the outbreak is fabricated by health organisations for financial gain, causing patients to delay treatment by visiting traditional healers or simply staying home.
The medical response is under severe strain. Healthcare workers face critical shortages of personal protective equipment, partly due to US foreign aid cuts, border closures with Uganda and Rwanda, and insecurity along supply routes. Africa CDC reported that as of early June only a quarter of supplies needed for the next three months had arrived. Thirty-four healthcare workers have been infected and seven have died. Treatment centres are overwhelmed, with isolation wards beyond capacity. Test results can take up to three days to return, hampering rapid response. Amid these pressures, there are also signs of hope: seven survivors, including a 16-month-old baby, were discharged from a treatment centre on Tuesday, and health workers say recoveries from the Bundibugyo strain, while documented, underscore the urgency of early presentation for care.
The outbreak's scale and trajectory make it one of the most serious global health emergencies in recent years. The WHO has allocated $3.9 million to the response, while Africa CDC has announced a $319 million budget — resources that authorities say must be matched with faster logistics, community engagement in local languages, and sustained political commitment. As one doctor in Bunia put it: "We are not yet on a plateau."