Ebola cases near 4,000 as DRC struggles to contain fast-spreading outbreak

Lead

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is approaching 4,000 confirmed cases, with the head of the World Health Organization warning that the disease is spreading faster than efforts to contain it. Africa News reported that WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited Kinshasa on Wednesday — his second trip since the outbreak was declared in mid-May — and met President Félix Tshisekedi and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Jean Kaseya. After the visit, Tedros wrote on X that “the outbreak is spreading faster than our scale-up of the response, with new cases doubling in some hotspots over the past week alone,” according to France 24 — English, RFI — English, and TASS — English.

According to Africa News, the outbreak is concentrated in the eastern part of the country, far from Kinshasa. France 24 — English identified Ituri province as the epicentre, near the borders of South Sudan, Uganda, and Rwanda. Government data cited by France 24 — English and RFI — English shows 3,973 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths. Africa News reported Congo's Ministry of Health had recorded 3,874 confirmed cases and 1,751 deaths, while TASS — English reported the case count had exceeded 3,700 and the death toll had reached 1,600.

RFI — English reported that authorities intercepted a passenger boat, the Yingfeng 2, travelling toward Kinshasa on the Congo River after an alert about a suspected case on board. The boat arrived at the port of Maluku on the outskirts of Kinshasa with an estimated 200 passengers and was met by medical teams from the WHO and the health ministry. Health Minister Roger Kamba told RFI that one passenger fell ill after disembarking in neighbouring Mongala province and later died in hospital; doctors had not confirmed whether he had Ebola. All passengers and crew were to be tested.

In the capital, residents are adjusting their routines while taking precautions. Africa News quoted Biasala Tuwizana as saying that Ebola “is mainly concentrated in the eastern part of the country, and there haven’t been any cases here in Kinshasa.” He said residents had bought masks and disinfectant and that the government had rolled out prevention publicity. Another resident, Makasi Ngalagbana, told Africa News the outbreak “does make us a bit nervous,” adding that he now tries to stay away from crowded places but that it “hasn’t had a huge impact on my work and life.” Africa News described Kinshasa as home to around 22 million residents; RFI put the capital's population at more than 17 million.

Coverage comparison

The outlets' reports placed different emphasis on the outbreak. Africa News published one story centred on daily life in Kinshasa and the precautions taken by residents, alongside another on the accelerating case count and the health ministry's figures. France 24 — English and RFI — English both framed their reports around the WHO director-general's warning that the outbreak is spreading faster than the response, with attention to health workers in Ituri province who have gone on strike over a lack of pay. TASS — English focused on Tedros's visit and his call to scale up containment efforts “urgently and massively,” noting that the outbreak is the 17th in the DRC.

Key claims

• WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak is spreading faster than the response, with new cases doubling in some hotspots over the past week — as reported by France 24 — English, RFI — English, and TASS — English.
• Congo's Ministry of Health recorded 3,874 confirmed cases and 1,751 deaths — as reported by Africa News.
• Government data cited by France 24 — English and RFI — English showed 3,973 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths; TASS — English reported more than 3,700 cases and 1,600 deaths.
• The outbreak is fuelled by the Bundibugyo variant, which has caused two previous outbreaks, in Uganda in 2007 and in the DRC in 2012 — as reported by Africa News.
• The Bundibugyo virus has no approved treatment or vaccine — as reported by Africa News and France 24 — English.
• The United States has allocated $242 million in additional funding for emergency Ebola response, preparedness, and humanitarian support — as reported by Africa News, France 24 — English, and RFI — English.
• Health workers in the DRC have gone on strike over a lack of pay — as reported by France 24 — English and RFI — English.
• Africa News described the outbreak as the second-largest on record and the fastest-spreading in Congo's history.
• France 24 — English and RFI — English described it as the second-largest in the world and the largest in the DRC's history.
• TASS — English quoted the WHO as describing it as the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in the DRC.
• Clinical trials of a candidate vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus have started in Canada — as reported by RFI — English.
• The outbreak is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC — as reported by TASS — English.

Perspectives

WHO: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak is spreading faster than the scale-up of the response, with new cases doubling in some hotspots, and that efforts must be scaled up “urgently and massively” across all pillars of the response.

Kinshasa residents: Biasala Tuwizana and Makasi Ngalagbana, quoted by Africa News, said the outbreak is concentrated in the east and that while they have adopted precautions such as masks and avoiding crowded places, daily life has not been greatly disrupted.

Health workers in Ituri: France 24 — English and RFI — English reported that many frontline health workers have gone on strike over a lack of pay, worsening access to healthcare in a region already challenged by rebel conflict.

DRC authorities: Health Minister Roger Kamba told RFI that the intercepted boat was placed under surveillance as a precaution and that all passengers and crew would be tested, with doctors yet to confirm whether a passenger who died had Ebola.