The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to escalate, with confirmed infections surpassing 1,800 and the virus spreading into a fourth northeastern province, underscoring the mounting challenge facing health authorities despite an intensified international response.
According to the Congolese Health Ministry's latest situation report released Saturday, the number of confirmed Ebola cases has risen to 1,830 since the outbreak was declared on May 15. The outbreak has claimed 648 lives, while 780 patients remain under treatment and 284 people have recovered.
The epidemic has largely been concentrated in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, where health officials continue to strengthen surveillance, case tracking and community outreach efforts. However, the outbreak expanded Friday after authorities confirmed seven fatal Ebola cases in the Wamba health zone of Haut-Uele province, marking the virus' spread into a fourth province.
Health officials said national coordination has been reinforced across affected regions, with efforts focused on faster detection of infections, stronger epidemiological surveillance and greater community engagement to slow transmission.
The latest expansion comes as regional and international agencies intensify support for the response. Donors and global partners have pledged $910 million to help combat the outbreak in Congo and neighboring Uganda, where 20 Ebola cases have also been reported.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday it has deployed multidisciplinary emergency teams to priority health zones in Congo that account for approximately 83% of confirmed infections. The initiative is part of a decentralized strategy aimed at bringing outbreak response closer to affected communities.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya warned that the rapidly growing outbreak demonstrates how critical swift action remains.
"The current Ebola outbreak in Congo serves as a stark reminder that every moment counts and every delay costs lives," Kaseya wrote on X.
"That is why Africa's ability to detect, respond and contain outbreaks must be built where health threats emerge, in communities, through trusted health workers, strong surveillance systems and rapid access to financing."
Just two days after Congo declared the outbreak, the World Health Organization classified the Bundibugyo strain outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, reflecting concerns over its potential regional impact.
Health workers face one of the world's toughest outbreak responses
The outbreak has become the fastest-growing Ebola epidemic recorded in Congo, according to African health officials, unfolding in a region already burdened by armed conflict, widespread poverty and fragile healthcare systems.
Misinformation and distrust have further complicated containment efforts, with some residents avoiding treatment, rejecting public health measures and, in some cases, attacking healthcare workers responding to the crisis.
Health workers themselves have paid a heavy price. Of the 1,759 confirmed cases reported before the latest update, 112 involved healthcare personnel, including 35 who died after contracting the virus.
MSF trains frontline responders for high-risk deployments
As the outbreak intensifies, Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, has established a specialized Ebola training facility outside Nairobi, Kenya, to prepare frontline medical teams for one of the most demanding humanitarian emergencies they may encounter.
The simulation center replicates the conditions responders face in outbreak zones. Equipped with hospital beds, mannequins, a mock laboratory and full personal protective equipment, it allows doctors, nurses and clinicians to practice infection control procedures before deploying to Congo or neighboring countries at risk.
"Often, you come from a hospital and a university, you have knowledge and you think you can handle it," said Cisse Papa Ndiaga, a 43-year-old MSF community health worker from Senegal preparing for deployment to Congo.
"But once you're in PPE (personal protective equipment), it's a different story," he said.
Winning community trust remains essential
Beyond medical treatment, the program emphasizes communication with communities, where fear and misunderstanding can undermine containment efforts.
Trainees practice explaining Ebola prevention measures, organizing safe burials and helping survivors reintegrate into their communities while reducing stigma.
"We need to put more attention on the acceptance of these centers in the communities. It's something so bizarre for a community to see people dress the way that we're dressed," said Diana Corben, an MSF doctor working in the Central African Republic.
"One of the key things is to be able to get the communities to engage, to understand. But also to make sure that we have empathy and we take the time to sensitize them," she said.
Corben also stressed the emotional and physical demands of responding to Ebola outbreaks.
"We need to be very much aware of how much we can tolerate, what we're going to be put through," she said. "This is a simulation. The reality is going to be that much more intense."
The Nairobi training center began operating in mid-June and is expected to continue through August, with the capacity to train about 100 responders each month. While the program has primarily served MSF staff, it will also prepare officials from Kenya's Health Ministry and personnel from other humanitarian organizations.
For Ndiaga, the training has helped ease some of the uncertainty surrounding his upcoming mission.
"I'm not sure I'm ready," he said. "But I'm less scared."