Commentary
Much of the infrastructure to catch and contain Ebola outbreaks early has been dismantled over the past year, as the United States abdicated its role as leader in global health, says emergency doctor Craig Spencer for Bloomberg Opinion.
Red Cross workers disinfect Rwampara general hospital before handling the body of a person who died of Ebola, outside Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 21, 2026. (Reuters/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere)
26 May 2026 05:58AM
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island: As soon as I heard about the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), I knew it was going to be catastrophic.On Friday (May 22), the DRC reported 246 suspected cases. Most Ebola outbreaks end before they get that big. The same day, reports emerged that someone had died of Ebola hundreds of miles away in Kampala, Uganda’s most populous city. Less than a week after it was first declared, this is already the third-largest Ebola outbreak in history.I’ve seen Ebola up close. I got it while treating patients in West Africa in 2014. I know how destructive the disease can be - and how unprepared we are for its return.
