Ebola Outbreak Spreads Across Five Provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The Ebola epidemic has surged to five provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and health officials warn it could soon cross into South Sudan. The surge is concentrated in the east, where the disease is moving through remote communities with limited medical infrastructure.

The DRC government has not yet supplied essential protective equipment to the hardest-hit districts. Moise Bulabantu, a 38-year-old community nurse who works from a “dingy clapboard clinic” on the outskirts of Bunia in eastern DRC, is the sole public-health worker for a district of more than 40,000 people. He sees patients daily who are feverish or vomiting, yet the clinic possesses only gloves. Bulabantu says the health system is failing to meet even the most basic safety standards, highlighting a broader shortfall in the national response.

• “WE KEEP ASKING and we still haven’t got anything,” — Moise Bulabantu, Community Nurse

• “We’re pushing for the minimum,” — Moise Bulabantu, Community Nurse

• “We only have gloves.” — Moise Bulabantu, Community Nurse

The absence of adequate protective gear raises the risk that health workers will become infected, potentially accelerating community transmission. If the virus reaches South Sudan, neighboring health systems—already strained by limited resources—could face a new outbreak, compounding regional instability and humanitarian needs.

The report does not detail any official government plan, funding commitments, or international assistance aimed at containing the spread. Consequently, the scale of the response and the timeline for delivering essential supplies remain unclear.