Overview
- National health figures published on Monday show about 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 deaths roughly three months after the outbreak was declared.
- The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain for which no licensed vaccine or specific treatment exists and several candidate vaccines have entered accelerated trials.
- Transmission is concentrated in Ituri province but is active across 55 health zones in six provinces, with more than 70 percent of deaths occurring in the community rather than in treatment centres.
- Response capacity is strained by insecurity, full or inadequate treatment centres, shortages of protective gear and disinfectant, strikes by local health staff, and logistical gaps despite WHO, Africa CDC and EU support.
- Health agencies estimate hundreds of millions of dollars are needed for the response with roughly half of the announced funding yet to arrive, a shortfall that raises the risk of further spread and will shape vaccine trial rollout and containment efforts.