DRC Ebola Outbreak Becomes Deadliest in History, Killing One Person Every 30 Minutes

The Ebola epidemic currently ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has officially become the deadliest in the nation's history. In just three months since its declaration, the outbreak has claimed over 2,300 lives, exceeding the death toll of the 2018-2020 epidemic, which recorded 2,299 fatalities.

Described as the "fastest ever recorded" by the UN's head of humanitarian affairs, the epidemic is claiming a life approximately every 30 minutes. The current figures show 2,325 deaths out of 4,945 confirmed cases. This rapid spread is seven times faster in terms of cases and five times deadlier in the first three months compared to the major West African Ebola epidemic of 2014, according to the Africa CDC.

The outbreak, declared on May 15 with a significant delay, is concentrated in regions of the north and east where state presence is weak, health infrastructure is lacking, and the response has been overwhelmed. It has now spread across six provinces in the vast central African nation, affecting Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, Haut-Uélé, and Bas-Uélé. Uganda, a neighboring country, registered 20 confirmed cases and two deaths but has since declared itself free of the virus.

Despite the escalating crisis, efforts to contain the virus face significant challenges. The specific variant causing this outbreak, the Bundibugyo variant, currently has no vaccine or specific treatment available. In Bunia, the capital of Ituri province and the epicenter where nearly 90% of cases originated, containment measures are reportedly not highly visible, underscoring the urgency of the situation. The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed hope this week that the upward trend of the epidemic could be reversed within the next three months.

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is the fastest ever recorded and kills one person every 30 minutes