Africa's top public health agency said on Sunday that the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is still out of control. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa CDC, spoke to Reuters six months after the outbreak was declared on May 15. "We are all in agreement today to say that this outbreak is still serious, and is still not under control," he said.
Government data show more than 11,200 infections and 5,500 deaths so far. Kaseya said over 80% of new cases are among people who are not on contact lists. He added that over 65% of deaths happen in communities, outside health centres. Al Jazeera reported that eight of DR Congo's 26 provinces are affected.
The rare Bundibugyo species of the virus is driving the outbreak. No vaccine or treatment has been developed specifically for it, and it kills about half of the people it infects, Al Jazeera reported. It is the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record. Only the 2014-2016 West African outbreak was bigger. That epidemic infected more than 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000. Kaseya warned that if the outbreak is not stopped now, it would be the worst the world has seen.
Money is part of the problem. Donors have pledged $2.9 billion, but Kaseya said only $1.3 billion has been released. He urged donors to release around $1.6 billion more. He also asked them to work closely with Kinshasa so that money is not wasted on duplicated efforts. He called poor coordination between the government and donors "a collective failure" and added: "We are not pointing fingers."
Kaseya acknowledged that some health workers have not been paid for months. He said the government is working to digitise the payroll. This week the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières said aid was still not reaching hotspots. It pointed to untrained staff, ambulances without fuel and a shortage of surveillance teams.
There are some signs of progress. Earlier this month the World Health Organization approved clinical trials of two new Ebola vaccines. It said it expects results in early 2027. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said transmission is slowing in several early epicentres. The WHO said at least 3,000 people have recovered and gone home.