All articles tagged with #congo
Congo's Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has killed over 4,000 people, becoming the fastest-growing in history. Containment efforts are severely hindered by the arson of a treatment center, unpaid health worker strikes, and community mistrust. While mobile labs have improved testing speed, the outbreak remains on track to exceed the 2014-2016 West Africa crisis.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has begun vaccinating in the outbreak’s epicenter using the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, with doses rolled out in Kisangani and across 14 health zones in Tshopo, Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele. About 70,000 doses were approved—50,000 for frontline health workers and 20,000 for a clinical trial to test protection against Bundibugyo virus, which drives the current outbreak and has no licensed vaccine. The vaccination is provided under a compassionate-use program, and officials say Ervebo could offer protection against Bundibugyo due to relatedness between the viruses, though its effectiveness against Bundibugyo remains under study.
Scientists formally describe Colobus congoensis (Likweli), a distinct orange-mouthed, crested black colobus in Lomami National Park, DRC. The species was confirmed through morphology, DNA, and unique calls and is limited to about 656 square miles with small groups (~6 individuals). Weighing ~6.8 kg, it is most closely related to the black colobus, diverging 4–5 million years ago. First photographed in 2008 and later confirmed via evidence collected through 2018–2021, the finding was published in PLOS One in July 2026. With hunting and habitat loss threatening its tiny range, researchers propose Endangered status to protect the species and its forest home.
Eastern Congo's Ebola outbreak has intensified, with burial teams risking infection to perform rites amid rebel violence and a fragile health system. Families face restricted contact with the dead (one mother could only view her daughter's coffin through a ward window), while vaccines offer potential protection but no conclusive answer against the current strain. Officials say the true scale may be far higher than reported, frontline workers have protested for pay, and trauma experts warn the crisis extends beyond case counts, requiring a holistic response to support bereaved families and responders.
Congo's Ebola outbreak has surged to 6,186 confirmed cases and 3,007 deaths across six provinces, with authorities warning containment efforts remain below targets amid ongoing conflict, attacks on health workers, and weak surveillance. Vaccination with the Ervebo vaccine is starting for frontline workers, but there is no approved treatment for the Bundibugyo virus, and the WHO cautions the outbreak could surpass the deadliest on record while case counts may be undercounted, even as schools resume and transmission risks continue.
Congo’s Ebola outbreak has killed more than 3,000 people out of 6,186 confirmed cases, marking the fastest-spreading and deadliest outbreak on record. The virus has reached six provinces amid conflict, attacks on health workers, and weak health infrastructure, with health workers striking for pay. The WHO warns the outbreak could surpass West Africa’s 2014–16 toll, while Africa CDC says the true burden may be several times higher than confirmed cases due to surveillance gaps. Vaccination efforts using the Ervebo vaccine are expanding to frontline workers in Kisangani, though there is no vaccine or approved treatment for the Bundibugyo strain driving this outbreak; vaccines are in development.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 6,000 cases, with containment measures such as limits on gatherings, social distancing, and airport closures rolled out across six provinces, particularly hitting Ituri amid rebel violence; while Uganda has declared itself Ebola-free, the WHO warns that cross-border transmission remains possible and urges stronger community trust and resources.
Ebola has spread in eastern Congo to two additional health zones, with WHO warning that cross-border spillover risk remains high; neighboring Central African Republic and South Sudan are cited as top at-risk countries as the outbreak expands toward borders.
Health workers in the Congo are being vaccinated against Ebola as the outbreak expands, with vaccination efforts spanning 14 zones in Tshopo, Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele. Kamba urged frontline staff to get the shot to protect themselves and prevent spreading the virus to communities.
More than 300 people died in the past week in eastern Congo, marking one of the outbreak's deadliest periods, with 5,514 cases and 2,642 deaths overall; Ituri remains the epicenter as the Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine yet, though Ervebo doses have arrived and may be used in trials while frontline rollout faces access, security, and logistical challenges.
Congo has received 16,250 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine from the WHO and partners as part of a 70,000-dose rollout to combat the fastest Ebola outbreak on record caused by the Bundibugyo virus; the vaccine—while not yet specific to Bundibugyo—may offer protection and is intended to help contain the spread as Congo reports 5,375 confirmed cases across six provinces and 2,557 deaths, with more doses expected early next week. Containment challenges include ongoing armed conflict, attacks on health workers and facilities, displacement, and weak infrastructure.
Congo has received 16,000 doses of a potential Ebola vaccine and is kicking off outbreak awareness campaigns in Beni as frontline workers begin vaccination efforts in North Kivu.
A photo from Ituri province in eastern Congo depicts people scavenging for gold at an artisanal mining site, illustrating the intertwined human hardship and environmental impact of small-scale mining in the region.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo will receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, which has proven effective in past outbreaks, to bolster efforts to contain Ebola in the region.
Congo's Ebola outbreak has climbed to 5,021 cases and 2,378 deaths, spreading faster than any prior outbreak and outpacing response efforts in Ituri and other remote regions; the World Health Organization warns that the risk of national and international spread remains high, with fatality rates varying by province (including about 70% in North Kivu). Challenges include insecurity, attacks on health workers, limited vaccines or treatments for Bundibugyo virus, and difficulties reaching affected communities.