The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns that the current outbreak of Ebola could become “the deadliest on record” without urgent international action.
The outbreak began in Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which borders South Sudan and Uganda. As of May 26, there are at least 220 recorded deaths from the virus, and 900 suspected cases. The number of cases is likely far higher. Officials predict this outbreak will eclipse the 2018 outbreak in both fatality and case counts, partly because there is no vaccine or treatment for the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus responsible for the current outbreak.
Major funding cuts in 2025 reduced health, surveillance and outbreak preparedness measures from five to two areas of Ituri Province. This reduction potentially contributed to the rapid spread of the outbreak which went undetected for weeks.
Ebola spreads through touch, and health workers do not have enough PPE to help reduce transmission. Doctors, nurses and other medical staff are contracting the virus, further diminishing the personnel needed to contain the outbreak and increasing the risks to people seeking health care.
The current Ebola outbreak highlights the critical importance of disease monitoring and tracing, engagement with communities to build understanding of risks and how to change behaviors to reduce transmission, and the availability of well-resourced health facilities, especially in places experiencing complex humanitarian emergencies with large numbers of displaced people.
Photo: Medical personnel prepares for enhanced screening at JFK International Airport. (Photo credit: Donna Burton, CBP)
