Congo Ebola Medics Run Short of PPE as 34 Health Workers Catch Virus
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Jun 9
Congo Ebola Medics Run Short of PPE as 34 Health Workers Catch Virus
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Jun 9
Summary
Only a quarter of critical supplies for the next three months had reached Congo and Uganda by June 4, leaving Ebola teams in eastern Congo short of boots, masks, chlorine and body bags.
A 40% jump in high-protection suit prices to about $35 has worsened the squeeze, as the Strait of Hormuz closure, Bunia airport shutdown, Uganda's border closure and conflict disrupt supply routes.
Thirty-four health workers have been infected and seven have died in just over three weeks since WHO declared an international emergency; one Bunia medic said he had already lost three colleagues.
Aid officials say U.S. funding cuts and the dismantling of USAID left responders without pre-positioned stocks and rapid-release logistics that had helped speed Congo's 2018-2020 Ebola response, even as Washington says it has sent 150 tons of supplies and pledged more than $200 million.
A distant conflict crippled Africa's Ebola response. How can we break this fragile global supply chain?
With no vaccine and dwindling supplies, is the current Ebola response strategy destined to fail?
When international aid falters, can local militias become surprisingly effective public health responders?
Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak Escalates: 515 Confirmed Cases, 91 Deaths, and No Licensed Vaccine in DRC and Uganda
Overview
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is a rare and serious public health threat, having caused deadly outbreaks in Uganda and the DRC before. The current outbreak, officially announced in May 2026, went undetected for weeks or even months, making control efforts much harder. As of June 2026, there are 515 confirmed cases and 91 deaths in the DRC, mostly in Ituri province. The World Health Organization highlights the strain’s rarity and the severe challenges in controlling it, especially since the outbreak spread before detection and there are no approved vaccines or treatments available.