DRC Ebola Cases Surge to 5,515 as Pope Leo Appeals for International Intervention

DR Congo miners risk Ebola to make a living. The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reached 5,515 confirmed cases of infection and claimed 2,642 lives, with 51 new cases recently detected in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, according to latest government figures.

This update arrived on Sunday simultaneously with an urgent appeal from Pope Leo for international action to help contain the epidemic, which currently stands as the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the history of the DRC. Declared in mid-May, this marks the 17th Ebola epidemic for the DRC and has been designated a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO), establishing its highest alert level that also encompasses neighboring Uganda.

The epidemic is tracking closely toward surpassing the record-breaking 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, which resulted in over 11,000 deaths. Government statistics show the case fatality rate within the DRC has climbed sharply from roughly 20 percent in early June to nearly 48 percent, indicating that nearly one out of every two infected individuals is dying. Conversely, contact tracing has registered substantial improvements, jumping from 30 percent in June to surpass 85 percent.

Front-line responders have also faced severe dangers from the disease. The WHO reports that approximately 160 health workers have been infected, resulting in about 45 deaths. Containment efforts continue to face severe obstacles, including armed conflict within the affected provinces, displacement, direct attacks against medical personnel and facilities, highly mobile working populations, and critical infrastructure shortages.

Vaccines Arrive in DRC

While no officially approved vaccine or treatment exists specifically for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola—a rarer variant compared to those driving most historical outbreaks—the WHO has committed 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine. Licensed for Ebola and proven effective in past crises, early animal trial data suggests it may offer partial protection against the Bundibugyo strain. On Friday, 16,250 doses of this vaccine successfully arrived in the DRC.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus alongside other officials stressed that the response inside the DRC must scale up two to threefold to successfully suppress the outbreak across all impacted zones. Authorities also emphasized the urgent need for increased protection and support for front-line health workers, highlighting requirements for personal protective equipment, prompt salary disbursements, rapid diagnostics, and high-quality supportive care.

Abdulsalami Nasidi, a public health consultant instrumental in establishing the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, informed Al Jazeera that the outbreak is rapidly escalating out of control. He attributed ongoing transmission to weak infection control protocols alongside a deficit of trust bridging local authorities and affected communities. Nasidi warned that the crisis has transcended national and regional boundaries to become a global threat, noting that any spillover into neighboring regions featuring lower immunity levels would trigger a catastrophe.

While the WHO currently assesses the global public risk as low, it warns that the internal danger within the DRC remains exceptionally high. Despite surging caseloads, Uganda alongside several health zones across Ituri and South Kivu have successfully interrupted transmission chains. The WHO notes this progress demonstrates that rapid detection, decisive leadership, and community cooperation can successfully halt transmission.

Addressing the faithful at the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Leo offered special prayers for the DRC amidst the devastating spread of the Ebola epidemic, which continues to claim numerous lives. The pontiff reiterated his plea for global mobilization to preserve human life, urging the international community to mount a response that actively integrates local populations into prevention strategies to save as many lives as possible.