Bunia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo—As the response to Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus advances, new challenges are emerging for teams. Where transmission remains intense, resources must be increased to slow infections. In newly affected areas, the priority is to intervene early to prevent the virus from taking hold.
This dual urgency is reshaping the response. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Health, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, interventions are being intensified across key pillars: case management, infection prevention and control, safe and dignified burials, disease surveillance, community engagement, diagnostics and logistics.
The emergence of new hotspots also requires rapid intervention where capacities remain limited. Mangala, in Ituri, illustrates this challenge. Since the first case was detected on 18 May 2026, the locality has recorded 341 confirmed cases, including 149 deaths and 24 recoveries. Located 45 kilometres from Bunia, it remains difficult to access, requiring nearly two hours of travel. Without a treatment centre, patients transit through a local facility before being transferred to Nizi, 27 kilometres away, or to Bunia, depending on bed availability and patient choice. WHO, as the primary partner to local health authorities, has supported case management, surveillance, safe and dignified burials and community engagement in Mangala.
“Scaling up is not just about deploying more resources. It means reinforcing all pillars simultaneously and adapting our response to the evolution of the outbreak. We must be able to act quickly, wherever the virus requires us to intervene,” explains Dr Thierno Baldé, formerly the WHO Incident Manager for the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The number of mobile safe and dignified burial teams increased from 53 teams of 12 members each to 114 teams deployed across Ituri province. In areas of high transmission facing resistance, 57 community teams, previously trained in safe and dignified burials, were deployed across 11 health areas in Mangala and Fataki.
Patient care has also been strengthened. Between 27 July and 21 September 2026, bed capacity rose from 929 to 1510 across 54 health facilities covering 34 health zones. By that date, 326 additional beds were being installed and 146 more planned, with the goal of reaching around 1830 beds by the end of September. However, more than 1400 additional health professionals are needed to support this expansion.
“Increasing capacity allows us to admit more patients under better conditions and reduce delays. Rapid isolation and treatment of cases is essential,” says Dr Stéphane Mutombo, anaesthesiologist and resuscitator, head of the clinical component within the holistic care pillar for the Ministry of Health.
Infection prevention and control measures in health facilities have been reinforced to better protect patients and health workers, through training, personal protective equipment and improved hygiene and decontamination practices. Between 20 May and 18 September, 9778 decontamination operations were carried out, including 5863 in households and 1597 in health facilities and Ebola treatment centres.
Surveillance has been intensified to detect cases earlier and improve contact tracing. The number of WHO epidemiologists and data managers increased from 58 to 114 between 2 July and 23 September. Over the same period, the proportion of alerts investigated rose from 71.2% to 92.5% and contact tracing coverage from 81.8% to 88.8%.
Risk communication and community engagement accompany these efforts at the grassroots level to raise alerts, counter rumours and strengthen trust. Between August and mid‑September, more than 5 million people were sensitized, nearly 20 000 community alerts reported and 1449 rumours or misinformation addressed within 48 hours.
Laboratory capacity has also expanded to bring diagnostics closer to transmission hotspots. The number of operational laboratories increased from 15 to 26, while daily sample testing rose from about 200 to over 450. At the same time, logistics support enabled the deployment of 11 ambulances, though distances, poor road conditions and insecurity continue to hinder access to certain localities.
“The scale‑up must now continue and be consolidated. We need to sustain this momentum, strengthen capacities where needs remain high, and adapt our resources to the evolution of the outbreak to preserve the progress achieved,” says Dr Steve Ahuka, Incident Manager of the Presidential Task Force for the Ebola response.
Progress remains fragile, with persistent transmission and new hotspots. Sustaining the scale‑up requires additional resources to reinforce teams and intervention capacities. The safe and dignified burial system, in particular, must expand from 57 to 1000 teams across 500 health zones within the next two months.
These needs are part of the revised 180‑day multisectoral plan launched on 4 September 2026 by the government, with support from WHO, the United Nations system, Africa CDC, and partners. Its implementation requires US$ 1.3 billion over the next 6 months.
“We must continue this coordinated action close to communities, because the results show it works. This is how we can stay ahead of the virus and interrupt transmission,” concludes Dr Baldé.
