WHO marks recovery of five patients as DRC Ebola outbreak accelerates
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus opens new treatment centre in Bunia amid warnings from Doctors Without Borders that the response is lagging behind the epidemic’s pace.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the recovery of five patients infected with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a development announced by Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during the inauguration of a new treatment facility in Bunia. Ghebreyesus noted that four patients were scheduled for discharge on the day of the opening, following the release of another patient two days prior.
This development occurs against the backdrop of the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak, which was declared two weeks ago and has already resulted in nearly 1,000 suspected cases and more than 220 suspected deaths. The current outbreak is distinguished by the circulation of the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The World Health Organization states that this particular strain kills up to 50 percent of those infected.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has described the situation as deeply alarming, citing the unprecedented speed of the virus’s spread. Alan Gonzalez, MSF’s deputy director of operations, stated that the outbreak has expanded faster than any previous Ebola eruption, noting that the international response has not yet caught up with the epidemic’s trajectory.
Gonzalez highlighted significant operational challenges, particularly regarding diagnostic capabilities. He explained that the Bundibugyo strain is difficult to identify due to limited testing capacity in the region. “Never before has an Ebola outbreak recorded so many cases so soon after its declaration,” Gonzalez said in a statement, underscoring the urgency of the public health crisis.
The outbreak’s reach extends beyond the DRC’s borders, with neighbouring Uganda reporting one death and nine suspected cases. As the WHO continues to coordinate the response, the lack of targeted medical countermeasures for the Bundibugyo strain remains a critical vulnerability in the fight against the virus.
