Congo receives more than 16,000 doses of Ebola vaccine as it grapples with unprecedented outbreak

Congo has secured over 16,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, as the nation confronts the fastest Ebola outbreak in history, announced its health minister. The delivery of 16,250 doses touched down at N’djili International Airport in Kinshasa, part of the 70,000 doses expected from the World Health Organization and partners, revealed on Thursday. Additional doses are anticipated early next week.

The current outbreak is fueled by the rare Bundibugyo virus, lacking approved treatment or vaccine. The virus spreads swiftly and remains undetected, as its symptoms mimic those of malaria. Ervebo, licensed to combat Ebola, has proven effective during past outbreaks and may offer some protection against the Bundibugyo virus.

As of Friday, the outbreak has claimed 2,516 lives out of the 5,290 confirmed cases. With transmission rates on the rise, the epidemic is poised to surpass the deadliest on record, which claimed over 11,000 lives across West Africa between 2014 and 2016. Africa Centre for Disease Control data suggests transmission has yet to peak and could surge threefold its known rate.

Containment efforts have been impeded by armed conflict between the government and rebel groups, who hold sway over key cities in the outbreak zone. Attacks on medical personnel and facilities, an itinerant labor population, and displaced individuals due to the conflict, alongside inadequate critical infrastructure, further complicate the situation.