WHO warns DR Congo's Ebola outbreak has outpaced response capacity

The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has expanded beyond the capacity of existing response mechanisms, marking the largest such crisis in the nation's history. Dr. Vasee Moorthy, acting lead of WHO's R&D Blueprint, told reporters in Geneva that urgent financial and operational support is required to contain the virus. "The outbreak is expanding beyond the capacity of the response to manage. It is now the largest the country has ever faced," Moorthy said, highlighting the severe strain on national health infrastructure.

Virus spreads across five provinces

As of Aug. 1, the outbreak had caused 3,748 confirmed cases and 1,657 confirmed deaths across 49 health zones in five provinces, with 708 patients recovering from the illness. Around 17,000 contacts remain under active monitoring, with health workers successfully following up on more than 80% of cases daily. Moorthy noted that response efforts must focus on areas where the virus is currently spreading and where it is likely to spread next, requiring expanded treatment capacity and additional field investigation teams.

Experimental vaccines in early trials

There are currently no proven safe and effective treatments, vaccines or preventive medicines specifically targeting the Bundibugyo Ebola strain, although early access to supportive care can save lives, according to the WHO official. Clinical trials of experimental treatments and a potential post-exposure preventive medicine are underway in Congo, while two Bundibugyo-specific candidate vaccines have entered Phase 1 trials in the UK and Canada. Moorthy added that safe burial teams and community health workers require additional resources to prevent further transmission in affected regions.