The Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda has claimed more than 200 lives in its first month, with 894 confirmed cases reported. Cases have surged by 38% since last week, according to Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Wessam Mankoula, a medical epidemiologist at Africa CDC, stated that the current outbreak is the worst known at this stage, exceeding a previous outbreak in Uganda 26 years ago by three times, which had 281 cases at the same point.
The outbreak was confirmed on May 15, weeks after it was suspected to have begun, a delay believed to have contributed to the higher number of current cases. The disease has now spread across 32 health zones in eastern Congo. This particular outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments, and which was not tested for in the early days of the crisis. In contrast, the more common Zaire virus, responsible for most of Congo’s past 16 outbreaks, does have an available vaccine. So far, 74 patients have recovered from the disease across eastern Congo and Uganda, while experimental treatments like monoclonal antibodies are under development for Bundibugyo.
Labor and Displacement Bear the Brunt
The outbreak is heavily concentrated in Congo’s eastern province of Ituri, accounting for over 90% of the confirmed cases. Cases have also been recorded in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and have crossed the border into Uganda, where 19 confirmed cases and two deaths have been reported. Contact tracing, a critical public health measure, remains severely hampered by the region's remoteness and ongoing insecurity in Ituri province, Dr. Mankoula noted.
According to Dr. Mankoula, for the 800 confirmed cases, an estimated 17,000 to 35,000 contacts should be on a tracing list. However, only approximately 4,000 contacts, less than 15% of the required number, have been tracked and are currently being evaluated. Dr. Mankoula stated, “We are still far from controlling the situation of this outbreak.” The U.N. humanitarian office reports that nearly a million people have been displaced by years of conflict in Ituri, exacerbating the difficulty of contact tracing as populations flee attacks or move frequently. This vast province is characterized by dense forests, poor roads, and remote villages that can take days to reach. Tracing is further complicated among the thousands of miners who regularly move between remote sites within this mineral-rich region, highlighting the precarious conditions of labor that facilitate disease spread.
Capital's Pledges and Systemic Failure
The response to the escalating crisis reveals a stark disparity between promised resources and actual delivery. Of the more than $900 million pledged to combat the outbreak, only $90 million has been released. Africa CDC estimates a need for 540 personnel to effectively fight the outbreak, yet only 84 have been deployed to the field. Dr. Mankoula expressed a reliance on future action, stating, “We’re keeping our fingers crossed those new pledges will be fast tracked, and we’ll be following up with different member states and different partners about their commitment to turn those pledges into actual money released to their affected countries or partners.” This reliance on voluntary, unfulfilled pledges underscores the systemic failure to prioritize collective health over capital accumulation, leaving the most vulnerable populations to bear the cost of neglect in a region exploited for its resources.