Since the COVID pandemic, the world has taken a much larger interest in diseases that have been spreading across the globe. Though journalists and newspapers have only recently been focusing on these, it is important to stress that such viruses have always existed and most likely always will. Specifically, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has attracted a lot of attention recently, largely because it threatened to spread into the rest of the world. Considering one confirmed case that occurred in France in June of 2026, the whole of Europe was shaken by the possibility of another pandemic. But Ebola has been an active and present threat for many years now, impacting not only the Democratic Republic of Congo but also countries like South Sudan and Uganda. The virus originated in wildlife, primarily fruit bats, and first infected humans during simultaneous outbreaks in 1976 in the DRC and South Sudan.

The DRC has experienced a total of 17 outbreaks of Ebola since the disease was first discovered. The last ongoing outbreak began in May 2026 in Ituri Province and has since spread to several other provinces, making it one of the largest and fastest-growing epidemics in the nation's history. On the 14th of September of this year, the DRC reported a total of 7,258 cases, including 3,510 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most affected areas have been Haut Uélé, the northernmost; Ituri, south of Haut Uélé; and North Kivu, south of Ituri, bordering Uganda and Rwanda.

The outbreak has been caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare strain of Ebola that leads to severe bleeding and organ damage. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated materials, and infected wildlife. Case fatality may range from 25% to 50%. The most significant barrier to controlling the spread of this disease is the fact that there are no approved countermeasures; no licensed vaccine or specific treatment exists for this strain of the virus, though research is still being mobilized to identify possible countermeasures.

The World Health Organization and international partners are supporting both the DRC and Uganda during these difficult times, through the deployment of technical experts, the provision of medical supplies, and laboratory support. There has, in fact, been a multi-agency coordination: WHO, WFP, and MONUSCO, along with Red Cross workers, have been working together on a collective response, all according to the World Health Organization, reporting in the African Region. According to many interviews that have been circulating on the internet, there has been a general distrust among the population toward international aid organizations and humanitarian health workers.

A first report was given by the New York Times; the video, by Michael Anthony Adams, Bethlehem Feleke, Yasu Tsuji, and Jon Hazell, shows a woman grieving her daughter, who died of suspected Ebola at the young age of 26. The woman doesn't want to let go of her daughter's body — she wants to be close to her child — even though the Ebola virus remains highly infectious even hours after death. Burial teams are specifically trained to handle these types of situations; they disinfect the bodies and tell families to stay away from them. But people are starting to be blinded by grief and suffering, and some have begun to threaten health workers and, at times, even attack them.

Another report, given by CNN, specifically Clarissa Ward, portrays her visit to Bunia's central market, where some people have blamed the outbreak on international aid organizations, creating a general distrust when it comes to going to the hospital. Some of the testimonies from the interviews report: "We are afraid to go to the hospital because it is the Westerners' medicines that are bringing Ebola." Another states: "When you go to the hospital, they give you an injection, and it is that injection that gives you Ebola." The issue lies mainly in the spread of misinformation, but it doesn't end there. The specific strain of Ebola spreading in the DRC is incredibly infectious and dangerous, and, as mentioned, there are still no approved countermeasures. While the Congolese population expects results because of the aid workers and supplies being sent to the DRC, what isn't taken into consideration is that there are no effective tools yet available against the spread of this disease, and doctors are still trying to figure it out.

Perhaps the most important aspect that should be taken into consideration is the fact that the territory is split. Essentially, the government has been facing great difficulties in containing the spread of the virus in light of the fact that there are other rebel groups that control the ground, making the situations intensively harder. There have also been, inevitably, a number of cuts to international aid organizations, in light of the chaos and terror that the volunteers often have to face. Eastern Congo, specifically North-Kivu and South Kivu, has faced for years attacks of different rebel and militant groups, but perhaps the most prevailing one is the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. Although the Congolese government still largely controls the Ituri Province, which is considered the center of the Ebola outbreak, its hold is still weak. Another armed group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), is also active there. This group originated in Uganda, is Islamist, and is linked to the Islamic State, and has carried out violent attacks on civilians, leading to the fleeing of doctors and nurses, overwhelmed by the catastrophic conditions.

As a matter of fact what we are able to detect from these various testimonies, is that the great health crisis that the DRC is facing is being managed by the government, and by rebel authorities, with an array of aid emergencies that are trying to help. These conditions are forming in communities that are already facing great insecurities and fragile health care systems, with governments that are, too often not strong enough to contrast rebellious groups. To quote physicians for Human Rights non-profit, “a devastating set of emergencies are converging”. The government has tried to handle rebel groups, specifically the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels through the deployment of military armed forces (FARDC) and local militias and is actively participating in multiple mediation processes to find a political solution (Washington Accords and Doha Framework Agreement). The efforts by the Congolese government to contain armed groups in the east have so far failed to restore stability, leaving the region vulnerable to crises such as the current outbreak. Surely future progress will heavily depend on the ability to contain this deep contrast.