Ebola outbreak in DRC strains health response as MSF warns of serious gaps

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warns that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading faster than the health response can manage. The organization highlights critical gaps in diagnosis, surveillance, contact tracing and community involvement, noting that only one laboratory operates in North Kivu province, causing multi‑day delays in test results.

The outbreak, declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) in mid‑May, has officially recorded 782 cases and 181 deaths, though MSF believes the true figures are higher. The virus strain, Bundibugyo, has no approved vaccine or treatment. While WHO officials say contact‑tracing has improved to about 70% of contacts identified—up from 45% at the start of the month—significant weaknesses remain, especially in insecure areas lacking access to portable testing kits.

MSF also criticises the delayed international response, recalling the 2013‑2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic that caused over 11,300 deaths and nearly 29,000 cases across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.