WHO
Bolatito Abayomi
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for the deployment of an additional 5,000 healthcare workers to support efforts to contain a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The outbreak, which was officially identified in mid-May, has expanded across six provinces in the country’s conflict-affected eastern and northeastern regions, placing further pressure on already limited healthcare facilities.
According to figures from Congolese health authorities cited by the WHO, more than 6,600 confirmed Ebola cases have been recorded, with 3,175 deaths reported since the outbreak began.
The global health agency said medical services in affected areas are struggling with shortages of personnel and resources as the number of infections continues to rise.
Ebola is a highly contagious disease spread through contact with infected bodily fluids and can lead to severe illness, including internal and external bleeding as well as organ failure.
The WHO revealed plans to establish 3,000 additional beds in Ebola treatment centres across the DRC. Luca Fontana, a senior technical official with the UN health agency, said the expansion would require the training and deployment of thousands of medical workers.
“With three medical staff needed for each patient, that means training 9,000 health workers,” Fontana said during a press briefing in Geneva.
He noted that more than 900 beds had been established within the first two months of the response, bringing the total capacity to nearly 1,400 beds across 59 treatment centres.
“Despite this extraordinary effort, we estimate that another 1,600 beds will be required to meet the rapidly growing needs,” he added.
Fontana explained that about 4,000 healthcare workers are currently supporting treatment centres, leaving a shortage of approximately 5,000 additional personnel needed to strengthen the response.
He said the Congolese Ministry of Health was working urgently to identify qualified medical workers from other parts of the country who could be deployed to affected provinces.
“Every treatment centre that is fully staffed and functional means more lives saved and a stronger chance of bringing this outbreak under control,” he said.
The ongoing epidemic is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. However, several vaccines and therapies are undergoing testing.
The outbreak has affected areas where government presence is limited, healthcare infrastructure is weak and armed groups have operated for decades, making response efforts more challenging.
Fontana said the outbreak has also shown signs of expansion, with patients now arriving from villages located far beyond the initial epicentre in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province.
He described the development as a clear indication that the outbreak is spreading and that response strategies must continue to adapt.
Ebola has claimed more than 15,000 lives across Africa over the past five decades. The deadliest previous Ebola outbreak in the DRC occurred between 2018 and 2020, when nearly 2,300 people died out of about 3,500 reported infections.
