Ebola outbreak in DRC spurs WHO appeal for urgent funding

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) the largest ever recorded in the country, with 3,748 confirmed cases and 1,657 deaths reported by 1 August and 49 health zones affected across five provinces. WHO officials said the response is outpacing available resources and urged immediate financial and operational support to expand treatment capacity, field investigation teams, safe burial teams and community health workers, especially in the epicentre of Ituri province and the town of Kisangani. Experimental clinical trials are underway in three treatment centres, in partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Alima organization, to evaluate new therapeutics.

MSF warned that the epidemic has reached its most severe stage, noting over 3,600 confirmed infections and around 1,500 deaths in just 11 weeks, a mortality rate far higher than previous outbreaks. The NGO highlighted that daily new cases continue to appear in previously unaffected areas, that contact tracing remains insufficient, and that security incidents, staff salaries and logistical barriers hinder the response. MSF’s 1,400 staff are operating seven treatment centres and more than 15 isolation wards, treating over 1,300 patients to date. Both organisations called for intensified international medical assistance and the removal of obstacles that limit the delivery of aid and supplies.