The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its international partners have launched a revised 180-day response plan to contain the country’s rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak, seeking an estimated $1.3 billion in funding for the next six months.
Supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other partners, the plan is intended to serve as the operational roadmap for strengthening surveillance, treatment, community engagement and other response efforts across affected areas.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, had recorded 6,342 reported cases and 3,072 deaths as of September 2, according to the WHO Regional Office for Africa. The virus has spread to 60 health zones across six provinces, raising concerns over continued transmission and delayed detection of cases.
Health authorities are particularly concerned that a large proportion of deaths are occurring in communities, often among people who had not been identified as contacts and had not reached health facilities before dying.
“Every case detected too late, every contact missed and every delay in mobilizing resources translates into lives lost,” Anne Ancia, acting WHO representative in the DRC, said, calling for rapid and coordinated action on a larger scale.
DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba said containing the outbreak would require efforts beyond the health sector, involving communities, government agencies, partners and donors.
“The government is fully mobilized to protect every Congolese,” Kamba said.
According to the WHO, full implementation of the revised plan would require an estimated $1.3 billion.
Damien Mama, United Nations resident coordinator in the DRC, said the Ebola response should be integrated into the broader humanitarian effort and backed by sufficient, flexible and predictable funding.
The Africa CDC also pledged continued support for the national response, including resource mobilization, coordination with partners and greater community involvement.
The outbreak, officially declared in May, has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC to date, putting additional pressure on health authorities and humanitarian partners to accelerate containment efforts before transmission spreads further.
