This year, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has experienced its 16th Ebola outbreak. Such a troubling resurgence has not occurred since the virus was first detected in 1976. This troubling rebound comes at a time when our global health systems are already stretched thin. These challenges have been further exacerbated following deep cuts and abrupt turnover at the leadership level of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during Donald Trump’s presidency.
That suspicion was confirmed on Thursday, when laboratory tests found the Ebola virus in Kasai province — the site of the latest outbreak. By August 20th, the initial clues of the outbreak emerged. A heavily pregnant woman, in labor, presented at her community hospital with a high fever, vomiting and other severe signs and symptoms. The outbreak has sadly taken 15 lives to date. Among the dead are four health workers, including a laboratory technician and a nurse, which highlights the intense hazards confronted by those on the front lines.
Contributing to the fear is the outbreak’s shocking 54-percent fatality rate. As health officials scramble to contain the spread, they face the daunting challenge of reaching a remote site that requires at least a full day’s drive from the provincial capital. The DRC government has officially declared as stockpiled 2,000 doses of an Ebola vaccine in Kinshasa. These vaccines will soon be making their way to the heart of the outbreak.
International assistance is absolutely essential in order to combat this outbreak. Furthermore, the DRC, already experiencing the world’s largest mpox outbreak since last year, with close to 130,000 suspected cases and nearly 2,000 reported deaths. The entire global health support system is at risk. This decline, particularly from the United States, sends alarm bells that we are instead retreating from effective outbreak management, preparedness, and response.
Not only that, the Trump administration chose to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) altogether. This decision left a huge void—in both resources and leadership—for global health. Before his decision, the United States was by far the largest financial contributor to the WHO, giving hundreds of millions of dollars each year. This withdrawal has renewed concerns about an international community lifting of will and cooperation to respond to outbreaks such as Ebola.
Jeremy Konyndyk, a former director of U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, emphasized the implications of reduced U.S. involvement in global health crises. He stated:
“The elephant in the room is the near-total disappearance of the U.S. government from any kind of leadership on global health and outbreak response.”
He noted that at the moment, the State Department has not deployable outbreak response capacity. This capability had long been cultivated under USAID. Konyndyk expressed concern over the potential consequences of this absence:
“The implication is a lot of risk and uncertainty.”
As authorities work to contain the Ebola outbreak, WHO officials have warned that case numbers are likely to rise as transmission remains ongoing. Patrick Otim of WHO stressed the interconnectedness of health crises:
“Diseases do not respect borders. When you have an outbreak in one area, it can quickly move to another area.”
Jean Baptiste Nikiema, from Equipe d’Appui a la Gestion (EAG), stressed that the challenges already exist in the DRC. He rightly noted that our health system is already stretched too thin. The country’s capacity to respond to multiple concurrent health emergencies at a time further highlights the importance of strong international partnership.
That last DRC outbreak of Ebola in 2022 was brought under control in a mere three months. Today’s climate is more dangerous, and that makes quick action and strong backing from the international community absolutely necessary. The current COVID-19 pandemic has already developed into a dramatic public health emergency. It calls into question the strength and effectiveness of international health collaboration during difficult hours.
