One hundred days after it was detected, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing the deadliest Ebola outbreak in recent history. Fuelled by the Bundibugyo variant, the outbreak has been worsened by insecurity, population movements, and a delayed health response.

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), over 5,100 people have contracted the disease and at least 2,400 have died since the beginning of the year, surpassing the figures of the 2018 outbreak.

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The Bundibugyo variant has become the fastest-spreading variant ever recorded in the country.

Evangelicals on the ground

In addition to the institutional response, evangelical organisations are playing a decisive role in containing the outbreak, particularly in areas where insecurity and a lack of infrastructure limit the capacity of the state and international agencies.

Organisations such as Tearfund and Samaritan’s Purse have stepped up their presence in the DRC in response to the deteriorating epidemiological situation.

Both organisations are working on community education, prevention, logistical support, and addressing fear and stigmatisation, key factors in curbing the spread of the virus.

Their presence in remote areas, capacity for community mobilisation, and deep-rooted social ties make them essential in prevention, education, and primary care in contexts where state infrastructure is inadequate. This often comes at the cost of the health workers’ own lives.

Tearfund is actively running campaigns on hygiene, early reporting of symptoms, and safe burial practices, while coordinating efforts with local churches and community leaders.

They report that many families are forced to choose between “water to drink or water to wash their hands”, which reflects the precarious state of basic sanitation.

During previous outbreaks, Tearfund installed drinking water points, triage units, latrines and incinerators, as well as running mass awareness campaigns on the radio and conducting door-to-door visits.

Meanwhile, Samaritan’s Purse has deployed a specialist disaster response team with experts in disease outbreaks, engineers, and medical staff.

It is strengthening mission hospitals and setting up an Ebola Treatment Centre in coordination with the Congolese government, and also sending personal protective equipment for local healthcare workers.

The Christian organisation from the US says that they have been on the front line in the fight against Ebola for over a decade, and will continue to “do everything possible to save lives”.

Unable to respond

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization general director, acknowledges that the outbreak “is far from being under control” and that the disease “has clearly outpaced” healthcare teams.

The lack of an approved vaccine for this variant, due to the fact that existing vaccines were designed for the Zaire strain, leaves healthcare professionals with limited resources.

The virus is now affecting six provinces in the east and north-east of the country, where displacement caused by armed conflict makes contact tracing difficult.

According to UNHCR, more than 6.9 million people have been displaced by violence in the region, hindering epidemiological surveillance and the early isolation of cases.

Late detection has been another critical factor: for months, symptoms were mistaken for malaria or typhus because available tests did not identify the Bundibugyo variant.

The WHO has announced increased community surveillance, greater treatment capacity, and progress in clinical trials of experimental vaccines.

However, it has received only 60% of the $115 million required to contain the epidemic, amid international funding cuts that have drastically reduced health funding in the DRC.