Seventeen medical professionals have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the outbreak claims more than 200 lives overall. The virus has infected 75 healthcare workers since Congolese authorities declared the outbreak on May 15, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official confirmed Friday.
Outbreak Spreads Rapidly
The outbreak is described as “serious” and “evolving so fast” by WHO emergency director Marie Roseline Belizaire. She noted that the high number of infections among medical staff represents a significant loss for the DRC’s already strained healthcare system, which faces challenges from years of conflict, displacement, and chronic underfunding.
Health officials believe the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola may have been circulating for months before the official announcement, exposing medical personnel before they were aware of the virus’s presence. Basic protective equipment remains scarce in some facilities, hindering efforts to prevent infections among doctors, nurses, and other staff.
The DRC has one of the lowest healthcare worker-to-population ratios globally, with approximately 11 health workers for every 10,000 people, according to WHO data. China and Uganda are reportedly sending medical teams to support the response efforts. The WHO is also providing psychological support to medical staff who may be fearful of treating patients after witnessing colleagues become ill.
Crisis Deepens in Displacement Camps
As of Thursday, Congolese authorities reported that the outbreak has caused 232 deaths and infected 896 individuals across 31 health zones within the country. The crisis is also causing alarm in camps for displaced people, where overcrowding, poor sanitation, and potential resistance to testing could facilitate the virus’s undetected spread.
In Kigonze camp in Bunia, Ituri province, the outbreak’s epicenter, at least 30 people have died since early May. Camp officials have described the death rate as unprecedented. While authorities could not confirm the causes of death due to initial refusal of testing for both living and deceased individuals, witnesses and aid sources reported that victims exhibited Ebola-like symptoms such as headaches, fever, and vomiting.
Kigonze camp is home to over 15,000 residents. The increasing fatalities there heighten concerns about Ebola spreading among the more than five million displaced people in eastern DRC. Aid workers suggest that funding cuts for crucial water, hygiene, and sanitation programs have exacerbated the danger of the emergency. UN data indicates that funding for toilets and handwashing stations in the DRC more than halved between 2024 and 2025, falling to approximately $38 million. The current year’s appeal for $80 million is only 21 percent funded.
Ebola deaths have also been recorded in another camp in Ituri province, which accounts for over 90 percent of the nearly 900 confirmed cases. Health officials warn that the outbreak has not yet reached its peak.
Mitchell Landsberg is the senior reporter for News Raise and focuses on Technology. Mitchell regularly writes about social media platforms and how influencers, industry and general people use them to communicate and make money.
