Hospitals in the Ebola-hit city of Bunia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are struggling to cope with a growing influx of patients, as health authorities race to contain a fast-spreading outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
At the Elikya clinic in Bunia, one of several health facilities receiving patients in Ituri province, doctors say wards are overcrowded and supplies are running low. Medical workers are trying to reorganise space and resources as new suspected and confirmed cases continue to arrive.
“We’re overwhelmed because, given the influx of patients, we have a lot of patients but nowhere to put them,” said Yazid Yassin, medical director of the Elikya clinic. “We’re in the process of getting organised and we hope that in a short time the centre will be up and running and we’ll be able to address these problems.”
The outbreak, officially declared by DR Congo’s Ministry of Health on May 15, began in the northeastern health zones of Rwampara, Mongwalu and Bunia. The World Health Organization said the first known suspected case was a health worker who developed symptoms on April 24 and later died at a medical centre in Bunia.
The crisis has since spread across multiple provinces, with Ituri remaining the epicentre. According to updated figures reported by Congolese authorities, confirmed cases rose sharply this week. Reuters reported that as of June 5, DR Congo had recorded 452 confirmed cases and 82 deaths, after 71 new cases were confirmed within 24 hours.
Health officials say the scale of transmission is being worsened by weak health infrastructure, insecurity and community resistance in some areas. Yassin said managing the outbreak had become increasingly difficult because the region was still in a “rising phase,” with new patients arriving regularly.
“The population itself hasn’t yet accepted or agreed to do what’s needed to eradicate this disease,” he said, adding that communication and awareness campaigns were being stepped up.
The Bundibugyo strain is less common than the Zaire strain involved in several previous Ebola outbreaks. WHO says there is no licensed vaccine or specific approved treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease, though early supportive care can significantly improve survival.
The outbreak has raised regional concern, with cases also detected in neighbouring Uganda. The WHO and Africa CDC are supporting response efforts, including surveillance, isolation, contact tracing, border screening and community engagement. The WHO has announced a six-month strategy worth $518 million to help contain the outbreak and strengthen preparedness in the region.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people or contaminated materials. The disease has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past five decades.
