The resurgence of Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is evolving beyond a localised health crisis, increasingly serving as a global warning about the dangers posed when fragile healthcare systems lose international support, disease surveillance weakens and hospitals are left without adequate resources to tackle deadly outbreaks.
In the conflict-affected Ituri province, medical workers say they are battling to control the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak while facing severe shortages of protective gear, medicine and personnel.
Several health facilities reportedly lack basic supplies such as gloves and face masks, while others do not even have sufficient motorbikes to reach isolated communities where suspected cases are being reported.
For populations already burdened by violence, displacement and poverty, the outbreak is adding another layer of anxiety and economic hardship.
The World Health Organization classified the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern on May 16 after the uncommon Bundibugyo strain of Ebola spread undetected for several weeks before authorities identified it.
Officials have confirmed around 600 suspected infections and 139 suspected deaths so far, although humanitarian organisations believe the actual numbers may be much higher because surveillance systems failed to detect the outbreak early enough.
A worrying delay in detection
Global health experts have expressed concern that the virus circulated unnoticed for weeks before containment measures were introduced.
Unlike earlier outbreaks where monitoring teams responded rapidly, this time the intervention started late, giving the virus more time to spread through communities.
Humanitarian organisations say the weakening of health programmes previously financed by foreign donors contributed significantly to the delayed response.
“What we are starting to see in DRC, but in many places, is that surveillance is a lot of what USAID had supported,” said Maria Guevara of Médecins Sans Frontières.
“We don’t have those surveillance capacities.”
Across Africa, the reduction or collapse of externally funded healthcare programmes has become a growing concern, particularly in conflict zones and countries with fragile public systems.
Aid organisations warn that diseases such as Ebola spread most rapidly in places where governments lack sufficient funding, logistics and trained personnel for emergency response efforts.
Hospitals under severe pressure
In Bunia and nearby communities, healthcare workers say medical facilities were not equipped to manage another Ebola crisis.
“We are overwhelmed, we were not prepared to deal with an outbreak,” Sandrine Lusamba told Reuters. Lusamba coordinates local NGO SOFEPADI, which operates a hospital near Bunia.
She revealed that suspected Ebola patients had already died at the facility and that two nurses had become ill.
The hospital is now urgently searching for masks, gloves, thermometers, hand sanitiser and handwashing stations.
Because there is no approved virus-specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, rapid isolation and supportive care remain essential for survival. Treatment mainly involves hydration, pain relief and close monitoring.
However, many local healthcare centres currently lack the equipment, staffing and logistical capacity required to provide adequate care.
Emergency supplies stretched thin
Medical organisations already operating in Ituri before the outbreak are now relying heavily on emergency reserves to continue their response efforts.
ALIMA, among the first groups to react, said its contingency stockpiles enabled a quick deployment after the outbreak was confirmed. Officials, however, cautioned that those reserves are limited.
“We tapped into our contingency stocks,” said Mamadou Kaba Barry.
“The resources are far below what is needed today.”
The World Health Organization has since delivered 12 tonnes of medical supplies to affected communities and says additional shipments are being prepared.
At the same time, the United States announced support for as many as 50 rapidly deployable treatment centres in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, where Ebola infections have also been reported.
According to the U.S. State Department, the initiative demonstrates Washington’s “ironclad commitment” to maintaining a fully supported outbreak response.
Economic and regional concerns grow
Beyond the immediate health emergency, the outbreak is also raising fears about wider economic and regional consequences.
Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo lies close to major transport and trade routes linking Central and East Africa. A broader spread of Ebola could therefore disrupt border movement, commercial activity and already vulnerable supply chains.
During the 2014–2016 West African Ebola epidemic, more than 11,000 people lost their lives while economies across the region suffered billions of dollars in losses due to weakened trade, travel restrictions and investor fears.
Democratic Republic of the Congo also plays a crucial role in global supply chains because of its large deposits of cobalt and copper, minerals essential for electric vehicles, batteries and modern electronics.
Health specialists warn that repeated outbreaks in poorly funded regions with weak disease surveillance could make future containment efforts significantly more difficult and costly.
Fear affecting everyday life
Residents in Bunia say signs of panic are already becoming increasingly noticeable.
Markets are seeing fewer customers, caution in public spaces is rising and face masks are becoming common again.
Local resident Isabelle Mwendo said she only realised the severity of the outbreak after observing changing behaviour in businesses and public places.
“We first learned about it on the radio,” she told Reuters. “But when I went to the market, I realized that I was almost alone.”
Mwendo added that she was later refused entry into a bank because she was not wearing a face mask.
Healthcare workers are now rushing to install additional handwashing stations and expand contact-tracing efforts across difficult terrain, while the World Health Organization and UNICEF work to deploy more motorbikes to help teams reach remote communities faster.
But with infections likely underreported and medical resources running low, aid agencies fear the outbreak response may already be falling behind the spread of the virus.