Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have imposed strict confinement measures in outbreak-affected towns of Kasai province, setting up checkpoints to restrict movement as Ebola cases rise.
The announcement comes amid warnings from aid groups that response efforts remain underresourced.
This marks the country’s 16th Ebola outbreak since 1976 — the first in Kasai since 2008. As of 10 September, officials reported 42 confirmed, probable or suspected cases and 15 deaths, including frontline health workers.
Last week’s official announcement confirmed the outbreak across the Bulape and Mweka health zones, centered on a 34-year-old pregnant woman who became the index case after falling ill in late August and dying in early September.
The Africa CDC and WHO have rallied support, mobilizing rapid response teams, delivering two tonnes of medical supplies, and dispatching 2,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine for immediate use to protect healthcare workers and contacts.
Humanitarian actors, including the IFRC and World Vision, describe the response as hampered by poor infrastructure—remote terrain and limited access have slowed rapid deployment of resources.
Local isolation units have severe capacity limits, and underfunding has reduced the scope and speed of community outreach.
WHO assesses the national public health risk as high, with regional risk moderate and global risk low.
However, officials fear that unchecked community spread, together with reduced donor support and political shifts that have weakened aid systems, could worsen the crisis