Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned on Nov. 12 that Ebola was still spreading out of control in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with more than 11,000 confirmed cases and response gaps leaving patients and response workers without essential support.
Government figures cited in reporting put the toll at 11,042 confirmed infections and at least 5,387 deaths. This is the country’s largest Ebola outbreak and the second-largest recorded worldwide. The outbreak was declared in mid-May and is caused by the Bundibugyo virus.
It has spread across eight provinces. No vaccine or treatment specifically approved for this strain is available. MSF said resources had not reliably reached communities and care teams.
It cited responders who were unpaid or untrained, ambulances without fuel, absent surveillance teams, and shortages of supplies and technical support. MSF also warned that weak surveillance was leaving some areas poorly covered. It said many Ebola-related deaths were occurring in communities.
In parts of North Kivu, MSF reported that nearly three-quarters of patients had contracted the virus in a healthcare facility. This made some places of care potential sites where the virus could spread. MSF called for stronger coordination and oversight so response resources would reach the areas that need them.
It warned that surveillance and support on the ground remained crucial to containing the outbreak.