Ongoing armed conflict, mass displacement and poor water and sanitation access are making it harder for health authorities to contain an Ebola outbreak spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization has warned.
As of September 7, the country had recorded 6,757 confirmed cases and 3,267 deaths linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, spread across 61 health zones in six provinces. Ituri province bears the heaviest burden, with 5,406 confirmed cases, followed by North Kivu with 1,066.
WHO said the outbreak’s continued spread is being worsened by insecurity and population movement, which are cutting people off from healthcare and other essential services. Roughly one million people are internally displaced in Ituri alone, while more than 26 million across the DRC are grappling with acute food insecurity, conditions that make outbreaks harder to control, particularly in crowded settlements with limited clean water and sanitation.
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Displacement itself is complicating the response, as people fleeing conflict often move between communities where surveillance and healthcare access are weak, making it tougher for health workers to trace who’s been exposed and keep them under watch. As of September 7, authorities were monitoring 24,719 contacts linked to confirmed cases, with 21,359 tracked in the preceding 24 hours alone.
