The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has crossed the 1,000-case mark, with the disease spreading to a third displacement camp and claiming the life of an 18-month-old girl.
Congolese health authorities confirmed that the death toll from the outbreak has increased to 254 as the virus continues to spread across three eastern provinces.
The growing outbreak has triggered concerns among health experts across Africa, who warn that the situation could become one of the continent’s most severe Ebola crises if containment efforts fail. Experts fear it could surpass the scale of the 2014–2016 West African Ebola epidemic, which claimed more than 11,000 lives.
According to a health report from Congolese authorities, the toddler was tested for Ebola on June 14 at the Hungbe displacement camp but died before her positive result was confirmed the following day.
The report stated that the child developed a fever more than a week before her death and was transported on foot to two health facilities, where she was treated with antibiotics before eventually undergoing Ebola testing.
Following her diagnosis, health officials identified at least 107 people who had contact with the child, including family members, healthcare workers and residents of neighbouring displacement camps.
Dr. Emmanuel Musingusi Bulemu, a health official in the nearby Nizi zone, raised concerns over the shortage of isolation centres needed to prevent further transmission.
“We need to separate these patients from the community because they risk infecting others, but where can we put them?” he asked.
Two additional confirmed Ebola cases have also been reported at the Kpangba displacement camp in the same region, which houses people displaced by years of conflict involving armed groups, militias and government forces.
Meanwhile, at least 30 deaths have been recorded at another displacement site in Bunia, further intensifying fears over the spread of the virus among vulnerable populations.
Preliminary data from UNICEF indicates that children account for nearly one-fifth of confirmed Ebola infections in the outbreak.
A limited number of Ebola cases have also been detected in neighbouring Uganda, raising concerns about the possibility of further cross-border transmission.
