The Democratic Republic of Congo (a vast central African nation) has recorded more than 5,000 Ebola cases and 2,378 deaths since the outbreak was officially declared in mid-May, with the World Health Organisation warning it remains a global health emergency "far from being under control." The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists, is spreading roughly three times faster than any previous outbreak on record, with most new cases emerging outside monitored contact lists. Response efforts across six eastern provinces have been severely hampered by armed conflict, mass displacement, underpaid and striking health workers, community mistrust, and attacks on medical teams — including a mob assault in Ituri province's Aru territory that destroyed an ambulance. Meanwhile, neighbouring South Sudan is intensifying surveillance along its porous border with DRC, screening up to 1,000 people daily at key crossings, as authorities and UN officials warn that informal crossing routes make containing potential spread particularly difficult.